Antioxidants and anti-aging, the two just seem to be linked in study after study. As more over weight Americans struggle to attain a healthier lifestyle and break free from unhealthy obsessions with all sorts of junk food, trans fats, and empty calories new research suggests that the antioxidant falconoid in dark chocolate actually lowers the risk of heart & lung disease, prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes!
Even more exciting was to read a report at Prevention.Com about Dove Dark chocolate which packs twice the healthy antioxidant benefits as a glass of red wine or other dark chocolates. According to the article by Linda Rao, the specially processed coco Mars, Inc uses in their Dark Chocolate is so high it is used in medical research.
The name given to this special blend of chocolate is Cocoapro. It seems research conducted at the University of California compared a 1 1/3 oz serving of Dove Dark chocolate with the same amount of other dark chocolate and found only those individual consuming the Dove Dark Chocolate showed heart healthy benefits of increased antioxidants and an increase in HDL concentrations. Furthermore the Cocoapro formula found in Dove Dark Chocolates reduces blood clotting similar to the effect of recommended aspirin therapy to lower the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Now that we’ve given you the scientific research to appease the guilt of picking up that pack of Doves Dark Chocolate is it really worth it?
Doves Dark Chocolates are a bit pricier than some of the other dark chocolate choices out there. For years I swore by Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate. Until Doves Dark Chocolate Promises came along.
After my very first bite size piece I knew I was addicted for life! The smooth melt in the mouth texture has no comparison to the Hershey’s. The Dark bittersweet taste I expected was much softer and mellow than with the Hershey’s. According to the package, five pieces equals a serving, yet I find that 2-3 pieces are more than enough to take care of that chocolate craving.
Five Dove dark chocolate pieces which is 40 grams, contains 210 calories with 13 grams fat. Even following a sensible weight loss diet plan, it is easy to fit the calorie count in with your food choices if food for the rest of the day is wisely chosen. For me that makes it a no brainer! Eat sensibly and do my exercise and go ahead, toss a bag of Doves Dark Chocolate promises in the grocery cart right there beside the lettuce, fruits, veggies and lean meats!
A bag of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises contains 5 servings/ 25 pieces. Because of the intense smooth rich dark chocolate taste, I keep a candy jar on my desk and still seldom eat more than 1-2 pieces each evening. With other dark chocolate candies, I found myself still craving chocolate after a few bites and so would over indulge . The intense flavor of the Dove Dark Chocolate Promises satisfies the craving for chocolate much sooner than any other I have tried. The individual miniature pieces are individually wrapped in bright red paper. An added ‘extra’ is the ‘Promise’ written inside each paper. I get the same silly satisfaction in reading it as I do in reading a fortune cookie paper after a Chinese meal. It seems to signal ‘the end’ of the day’s food intake and that is a good habit indeed!
Doves Dark Chocolate is a bit higher priced but for me well worth it in flavor and convenience of small individual servings. The studies found in the Prevention.Com article which specifically mentions Dove Dark Chocolate just adds validity in my way of thinking for choosing this brand above others even if everything else were equal.
A heart healthy choice does not give license to over indulge of course. Moderation is the key to most things, especially food choices if weight loss or even weight maintenance is your goal. Yet with more studies being publicized every day about the benefits of the antioxidants found in dark chocolate why not pick so Dove Dark Chocolate up today?
But remember, I warned you those little Promises could be habit forming!
References: Linda Ro.Chocolate’s Secret Power.
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,sl-1-75-482-2288-1-P,00.html.>
May 29,2007.
