Dark Chocolate and Holistic Health
A couple of recent studies will give
chocolate lovers a chance to indulge
with a little less guilt. The findings
may also help explain a curious comment
Edgar Cayce made in several readings
that mention chocolate.
A study reported in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA, Vol.
290, No. 8) focused on thirteen patients with
mild hypertension who were allowed to eat
chocolate bars (either dark or white) daily for two
weeks. The hypertension remained unchanged for
the white chocolate group while dropping notably
for the dark chocolate group.
In another study published in the journal Nature (Vol. 424),
researchers measured antioxidant levels in subjects who ate either
milk chocolate (most commonly used in candy bars) or dark
chocolate. You guessed it – only the subjects who ate dark
chocolate exhibited beneficial increased antioxidant levels. Drinking
milk with the dark chocolate canceled the positive effect. One
possible explanation for the positive effects of dark chocolate is
the presence of plant compounds called polyphenols which increase
antioxidant levels and lower blood pressure.
Now for an associated Edgar Cayce quote: “Not too much sweets, especially
chocolate of the present variety.” (5162-1) Cayce made this stipulation
in several readings, apparently referring to the commercial
practice of adding sugar and other ingredient, (such as milk) in
much of the chocolate of his era. Many of the readings that discuss
chocolate were given for persons with digestive problems.
Chocolate was typically listed among a group of difficult to digest
foods. In the few readings that do allow for chocolate consumption,
Cayce’s advice was consistent with modern researchers
who caution about eating too much of this delicacy. If you do
indulge, keep it to a minimum and make sure it is dark
chocolate.