A "Prescription" for Chocolate

By Jon Herring

Several years ago, I went to visit my brother who was serving in the Peace Corps in the mountains of Panama. Every morning, we began our day with a rich cup of some of Central America’s finest coffee. That is, until we reached the San Blas Islands.

The San Blas are inhabited by the Kuna, a strongly knit tribe of Native Americans. Instead of coffee, the Kuna drink a beverage made with cocoa. And though they’re probably not aware of it, the cocoa is rich in heart-healthy antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients. I was reminded of this when I read a recent study showing that the Kuna Indians who live on the mainland have a high incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure, while those who still live in the Islands (and consume this beverage daily) have an extraordinarily low incidence of those conditions.

Certainly there can be other dietary reasons why the Kuna living in cities have health concerns that the islanders do not. But this study strongly supports the results of other recent studies, including one published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition which showed that the consumption of cocoa caused a "striking blood flow response" to the brain and improved brain function.

The Journal of Clinical Nutrition study was sponsored by Mars Inc., the company that makes M&Ms, Snickers, and Twix. I have no problem with their research – but don’t get the idea that a Snickers bar is going to do the trick. Besides being full of sugar, milk chocolate has very little cocoa. Instead, choose a high-quality dark chocolate – the more bitter, the better. Or buy a container of organic, unsweetened cocoa powder (NOW Foods makes the brand I buy). Mix it with water or milk and drink it several times a week. If you prefer it sweetened, add a few drops of stevia.

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It’s Fun to Know: About the English Language

The 10 most commonly used words in English are: the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, and it. The 10 most commonly used letters are e, t, a, o, i, n, s, r, h, and l.

(Source: Dictionary.com and Letterfrequency.org)

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Word to the Wise: Litany

A "litany" (LIT’n-ee) is a form of prayer that consists of a series of invocations recited by a clergyman that alternate with fixed responses by the congregation. By extension, we use the word to refer to any prolonged or tedious account.

Example (as used by Danielle Trussoni in a New York Times review of Sweet by Heather Byer): "Casanova’s memoirs would be nothing more than a pre-Viagra Superman’s litany of conquests if his adventures did not telescope the larger tragedy of committing slow suicide in the guise of love."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1982, 03-06-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Protection for Your Heart in the Candy Aisle

By Jon Herring

You've heard the news: "Chocolate is good for you." And it's true. In fact, it could be even more beneficial than first thought.

Researchers in Holland followed 500 men for 15 years. They found that those who ate the most cocoa were 50 percent less likely to die of heart disease. And they discovered that this benefit was conferred with just 4 grams of cocoa per day.

That's the amount of cocoa in two Hershey's Kisses – but that doesn't mean you should be eating that kind of candy. It has far too much sugar. If you want to enjoy the health benefits of cocoa, stick to dark chocolate. The darker the better. Most health food stores have an excellent selection of organic dark chocolate to choose from.

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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1746, 06-03-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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