Leap CHOCOLATE consciouseating Happiness Is…


at the Chance!


and spend $55 per person per year to indulge their hankering? That’s a lot of chocolate—some 3.3 billion pounds annually, or about 12 pounds per chocoholic. The International Cocoa Organization further estimates that by 2015, U.S. chocolate sales will top $19 billion.


D


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email: publisher@ NAEastBay.com 24 Eating dark chocolate makes peo-


ple happy, researchers have learned, because it contains phenylethylamine, the same nurturing hormone triggered by the brain when we fall in love. Ac- cording to the California Academy of Sciences, the theobromine in chocolate acts as a myocardial stimulant, dilator of coronary arteries and smooth muscle relaxant, all inducing good feelings. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School and Boston Uni- versity School of Medicine recently reported that subjects who consistently consumed dark chocolate showed a 40 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction and stroke than those who did not. A study published in the Euro- pean Heart Journal that tracked almost 20,000 people for 10 years found that people who ate about 7 grams of dark chocolate per day had lower blood pressure and 39 percent less risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack, compared to those who ate an average of 1.7 grams daily. Scientists from Swit-


East Bay Area | www.NAEastBay.com Dark and Delicious,


it’s Blissfully Healthy by Gabriel Constans


id you know that more than half of U.S. adults prefer chocolate to other flavors


zerland’s University Hospital point out that cocoa powder and chocolate con- tain rich sources of polyphenol antioxi- dants, the same beneficial compounds found in red wine and many fruits and vegetables that help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Chocolate lovers will be glad to


know that dark chocolate contains more antioxidants per 3.5 ounces than prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, plums, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, cherries, onions, corn or eggplant.


Gabriel Constans, Ph.D., is a coun- selor, journalist and author of a dozen books, including Luscious Chocolate Smoothies: An Irresistible Collection of Healthy Cocoa Delights and Great American Smoothies. For more infor- mation, visit GoGabriel.com.


A Bite


of History Xocolatl was the Aztecs’ word for chocolate, which they called “bitter water” and considered a gift from the gods. Cultivated for 1,000 years, the cacao tree is prolific once it reaches maturity, producing cocoa pods every six months for about 20 years. The beans must be fermented before they begin to taste like the chocolate we know and love.


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