Is Chocolate good for you

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Is Chocolate good for you does it really
prevent heart disease?

• Shalonda Macon

2
Brief History About Chocolate.
                                                                                         

• Chocolate originates from the seeds of the
  Theobroma Tree.
• Mesoamericans ( Myans, Aztecs) considered
  chocolate to be Food of the gods. Theobroma
  actually means Food Of the Gods.
• Theobroma originated in South America (Orinoco
  River) it belongs to the Sterculiaceae family
• Cacao came about from the Orinoco basin. The
  seeds plants were spreaded by humans through
  trade.

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Botanical Charasterstics

• Theobroma is a evergreen, under story shade tree.
• It grows best in warm tropical areas. If its
  below 60 degrees F. then it will not produce any
  fruit or blossom.
• In the wild trees grow to a length of 40 to 60
• On a plantation grows to about 20 for purposes
  of making grabbing easy.

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How its made.

                                            

• The cacao pod is sliced. Seeds are removed along
  with the pulp allowed to ferment
• Fermentation process is very important because it
  generates chemical changes in the seed that lead
  to the delicious chocolate flavor. If this
  process is overlooked or skipped, the beans wont
  develop the chocolaty flavor.
• Sun dry beans ( 1- 2 weeks)
• The roasting process takes place and then they're
  shipped off to various locations.

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GOOD NEWS!! 1 oz of Chocolate can possibly have
medicinal benefits.WHY ITS GOOD FOR YOU!!

• 1st Remember Not All Chocolate Is Created
  Equal!!
• Chocolate as a cancer preventative?
• Chocolate preventing Heart Disease?
• Chocolate may have beneficial effects on Heart
  Disease by
• Lowering blood pressure
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-platelet function
• Higher HDL
• Decreased LDL
• Chocolate as a mood enhancer.?

6
Short Video Clip

• The Truth About Chocolate
• 11
• http//www.webmd.com/video/truth-about-chocolate

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Can Chocolate be used as a cancer preventative?

• Chocolate is rich with antioxidants
  (polyphenols), which is the same thing thats
  found in a ½ cup of brewed black tea.
• The antioxidants decrease cells from becoming
  oxidated. Oxidation makes free radicals which
  can damage your cells lead to heart disease and
  cancer.
• Due to chocolate being rich in these
  antioxidants, researchers believe that they could
  possibly contribute to preventing cancer BUT its
  not definitive that it does and needs more
  investigating.

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How Chocolate possibly prevents Heart Disease?
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The substance they found How they think it
works.

• The substance they found in chocolate
  Procyanidin

• How it works!
• Procyanidin inhibits MEK MT-1 which are
  proteins associated with arteriosclerosis.
• Its also thought to suppress VEGF which is a
  protein associated with forming new blood vessels
  that feed tumors, therefore preventing cell from
  turning into cancer cells.

10
Chocolate as a mood enhancer?

• Chocolate increases the level of serotonin which
  is a brain chemical thats responsible for
  elevating a persons mood.
• It also has small quantities of caffeine which
  stimulates the brain as well.
• Chocolate has the same mood-enhancing chemicals
  thats found in marijuana but in much smaller
  amounts

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Chocolate Componets

• Stearic Acid
• Flavonoids
• Are protective against HD by
• ? HDL
• ? Blood pressure
• Anti-oxidant
• Anti-platelet
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Improving endothelial function by ? brachial
  artery circulation dilation

• Stearic acid is a important contributing factor
  in preventing heart disease because it reduces
  blood pressure and the mean platelet volume.
• However, there has been no study that
  appropriately proves the association of the
  stearic acid intake stopping heart disease. But
  it does suggest that the stearic acid components
  in chocolate could be beneficial for
  cardiovascular health.

12
Other Mechanisms

• Chocolate affects the level of prostacylins
  leukotrines.
• Leukotrines (bad guys) are powerful
  vasoconstrictors, proinflammatory agents that
  encourage platelet aggregation. However
• Prostacylins (good guys) is a vasodilator and it
  inhibits platelet aggregation. By consuming
  chocolate high in procyanidin it actually lowers
  the levels of the Leukotrines (bad guys) and
  increases the level of prostacylin.
• Due to the procyanidin flavonoid in chocolate
  and its effects (inhibiting platelet
  aggregations, ?HDL ,? Blood Pressure, etc.)
  thereby protective against risk of CVD

13
Platelet Function Effects.

• The anti-platelet effects of chocolate is due to
  the amplified production of nitric oxide.
• Nitric oxide promotes vasodilatation as well as
  inhibit platelet aggregation .

                 
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CONCLUSION
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REFRENCES.

• Engler, M., Engler, M. (2006). The Emerging
  Role of Flavonoid-Rich Cocoa and Chocolate in
  Cardiovascular Health and Disease. Nutrition
  Reviews, 64(3), 109-118. doi10.1301/nr.2006.mar.1
  09-118.
• http//www.delange.org/Cocao/Cocao.htm
• http//www.koreatimes.co.kr/www//news/biz/2008/09/
  123_30521.html
• http//www.independent.ie/health/diet-fitness/can-
  chocolate-prevent-cancer-1254196.html