And here is an article I just found... current (2005)... when I googled "chocolate iron"
Like we need confirmation that we must eat chocky?![]()
Can a chocolate a day keep the doctor away?
March 18, 2005
Chocolate may be a dieting sin, but as well as being addictive, it can be good for you. EMMA POMFRET finds some facts to delight chocoholics
IT SOUNDS far too good to be true, but chocolate could be good for you. In fact, according to Chantal Coady, author of Real Chocolate and owner of London confectioners, Rococo Chocolates, chocolate is one of the most nutritious and easily digested foods known.
''It contains a multitude of vitamins, minerals and complex alkaloids, all of which enhance health and well-being, '' she explains. ''The iron in chocolate also comes in a form 93 per cent useable by the body, with the oxalic acid helping bond the iron and calcium.'' In fact, she believes that chocolate is so beneficial to our general good health that she has recently called for her products to be made available free of charge on the NHS, to treat patients suffering from pre-menstrual tension (PMT) and depression.
And if that wasn't enough, there also is a naturally occurring antidepressant in chocolate called phenylethylamine (PEA), which increases the serotonin levels in the brain, according to Coady.
PEAs can induce a euphoric state, as well as boosting energy levels and mental alertness, and are commonly found in 'love-addicted' women, while lower PEA levels have been discovered in people who suffer from depression.
''Chocolate affects the hormones in the brain in a similar way to morphine, and so can relieve pain, '' says Coady, who adds that although Prozac is used to treat depression by raising serotonin levels, it also has many well-documented side effects and is highly addictive.
''Real chocolate, however, acts as an instant antidepressant, '' she smiles.
''Even its smell can have a calming effect on the brain - chocolate also contains theobromine and valeric acid.'' Theobromine is a stimulant similar to caffeine, which stimulates the brain, muscles and central nervous system, and has also been shown to lower blood pressure. Fine chocolate can actually help lower your cholesterol.
She adds: ''Chocolate is also rich in flavinoids - also found in red wine - and other chemical compounds known to reduce the likelihood of deep vein thrombosis and strokes.'' UNDER THE WRAPPER Chocolate contains the following vitamins and minerals, vital for overall good health and well-being:
Vitamin A1 Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Calcium Copper Chromium Iron Magnesium Phosphorous Potassium Sodium Zinc
''There is strong evidence that replacing desserts with good chocolate can actually help weight loss and diabetes, '' she says, citing the book, A Chocolate A Day Keeps The Doctor Away, by Dr John Ashton and Suzy Ashton
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/...es/180305.html



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