Chocolate and health Essay

Submitted By PhyllisRen
Words: 1057
Pages: 5
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Title:To what extent can chocolate be considered a healthy food? Discuss with reference to relevant evidence on potential harms and benefits.

Introduction
Chocolate, whose main ingredient is cocoa, has certainly been one of the most popular confectionery worldwide for centuries.Nevertheless, there have been hot debates during recent years on whether chocolate should be included on the healthy eating list or not. A large number of researchers (Adams,S.,2006; Backett,S.T.,2008) have demonstrated the benefits of cardioprotection after eating chocolates, considering that cocoa contains rich flavanols, but Ding, E., Hutfless, M., Ding, X. and Girotra, S. (2006) suggest that more attention should be attached to the long-term outcome in this respect.This paper is aimed to analyze some potential merits and harms related to human health through showing dominant arguments from different sources, and it will be organized as follows. The first section of this paper illustrates reasons why chocolate can be beneficial for human health.Then some disagreements will be shown in the second part,focusing on potential harms that chocolate may have,as well as limitations of studies in this area.The third section will summarize the views presented and briefly provide comparisons and analysis on such basis.The last section concludes.
Positive health effects
Cardioprotection
Recently numerous studies have reported the positive effects that chocolate can take in the aspect of decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease, this merit can be contributed to a kind of polyphenols which is called flavanol contained in cocoa.Adams,S.(2006) reports that the cardioprotection of chocolates can be achieved through two main ways. ’ In vitro, the antioxidant activity of cocoa decreased LDL oxidation even more so than green and black tea,23 which are known to have antioxidant activity far greater than most fruits and vegetables ’.Although he has to admit that the fact is established on most human trials, rather than all. Another way he points out is relied on the ability of products contain cocoa such as dark chocolates ,which is known as ‘thin the blood ’ because of the decline in platelet activation.

Anti-hypertension
According to Backett,S.T.(2008), there are many other potential benefits of flavanol as well.’Flavanols have been shown to suppress some inflammatory reagents and increase the anti-inflammatory nitric oxide ’,and nitric oxide is a critical element for releasing blood pressure and fastening blood flow rate.He suggests that this point equips chocolate with properties of anti-hypertension.
Besides, he attempts to demonstrate that chocolate eating have no close links with some alleged negative effects,such as migraine, tooth decay,acne,allergies, due to lack of evidence.

Present limitations and Potential harms
Obesity or blood pressure relaxation
In terms of anti-hypertension, Adams,S.(2006) has shown different arguments.He claims that except a population study conducted in Spain which found no direct connection between chocolate consumption and incident of hypertension, there is no epidemiological evidence available to prove that chocolate will have positive effect on relaxing blood pressure.More importantly, he points out the amount of chocolate we need to take effects on blood pressure may theoretically lead to overweight, which is the chief culprit of many other cardiovascular disease.That means the more chocolates you eat for fighting against hypertension, the higher risk it might result in obesity.In his demonstrations he described it as ’ cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face ’.

Immediate effect on moods
It is generally suggested that eating chocolates can cheer people up.However, Parker(2006,149)examines that any positive psychological effects after consuming chocolates can not last for long time.Supported by showing different motivations of chocolate craving and emotional eating, he proves that chocolate craving and
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