Scientist Prove Dark Chocolate Healthy for You

It was a happy day when I learned that the scientist said a small amount of dark chocolate is good for you because of antioxidants called flavonoids. The darker the chocolate, the higher the number of flavonoids, so the greater the health benefit.

Denmark scientists studied 55,502 people for almost 14 years. comparing them to people who did not eat chocolate but had atrial fibrillation. They learned that people with atrial fibrillation had 10 to 20 percent lower heart rates, which is much safer. They ruled out all common contributing factors that might cause a faster heart rate, such as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Women ate one ounce of dark chocolate weekly, and men ate two ounces weekly.

Plus, a study at West Virginia found chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time and problem-solving skills. In Italy, they wanted to know if chocolate was an aphrodisiac. They found women showed improvement in sex drive, but it may have worked better in younger women. Anyway, it just keeps getting better and better!

As always, moderation is the key. The less processing the cocoa or chocolate has the better it is for you. It pays off to buy better quality chocolate. Web MD tells about one study using Dove dark chocolate. Now, I might have paid them to get in that study group!

Some of the wonderful benefits of dark chocolate include help with weight loss due to your blood sugar being stabilized, thus cravings are reduced and your appetite is controlled. Your mood will be improved due to the curbing of a desire to consume comfort foods. A study done in Australia showed women who ate small amounts of dark chocolate had a lower risk of heart attacks.

Chocolate has been found to increase blood flow, and platelets are less sticky, which helps prevent heart attacks. It also helps blood pressure, and it may help your muscles recover after a hard workout. It has also been shown to improve the moisture in skin according to one German study.

Other studies have shown a lower risk of stroke and heart attacks because dark chocolate shows platelets from clumping together. Anti-cancer benefits, due to the flavonoids, occur because cell damage is reduced with dark chocolate consumption.

I am not going to tell you that the following two luscious recipes are healthy, but I am showing them in this article. I will tell you that you will adore them if you like chocolate. I mean they are “to die for”.

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate or 1 envelope pre-melted unsweetened baking chocolate flavor
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup All-Purpose or Unbleached Flour
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

Filling:

• 8 -oz. pkg. cream cheese softened (reserve 2 oz. for Frosting)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 6 -oz. pkg. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips, if desired

Frosting:

• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate or 1 envelope pre-melted unsweetened baking chocolate flavor
• 2 -oz. reserved cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease and flour 13” X 9” pan.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt margarine and 1 square of chocolate.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.

Add remaining bar ingredient and mix well.

Spread in prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine 6 ounces of cream cheese with next 5 ingredients.

Beat 1 minute on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, and then stir in nuts.

Spread over chocolate mixture.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on marshmallows. Bake 2 more minutes.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt 1/4 cup margarine and 1 square chocolate, remaining 2 ounces cream cheese and milk.

Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Immediately pour over marshmallows and swirl together,

Cool; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 3-4 dozen.

Ingredients:

• 1 package fudge brownie mix
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
• 3 medium firm bananas, divided
• 1-2/3 cups cold milk
• 2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions for fudge-like brownies.

Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanuts.

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 28-30 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

Topping:

Slice bananas; arrange in a single layer over brownies.

Chop the remaining chocolate chips.

Sprinkle ¼ cup chopped chips and ¼ cup peanuts over bananas.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk and pudding mixes on low speed for 2 minutes.

Fold in whipped topping.

Spread over the top.

Sprinkle with remaining chips and peanuts. (You could substitute pecans or walnuts as desired).

Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 12-15 servings

These two recipes are obviously not for dieters, but when you want something special for family and friends they are excellent choices. I took the Rocky Road Fudge Bars to a potluck type dinner, and I received several phone calls from people wanting the recipe.

For you to enjoy the heart health benefits, the dark chocolate should be at least 70 percent cacao. This will be fairly bitter, so you may want to use it with some type of sweeter or a recipe. The daily amount that is good for you is approximately 30g to 60g/day (approximately 1 to 2 ounces).

Bon appétit!