I think I will add some chocolate to my diet.
"ta" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "pearl" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > AHHHH! BETTER THAN RED WINE OR GREEN TEA,
> > COCOA FROTHS WITH CANCER-PREVENTING
> > COMPOUNDS, CORNELL FOOD SCIENTISTS SAY
>
> Is there any way to ensure that your cocoa was not produced on the backs
of
> child slaves in west africa (i.e., http://tinyurl.com/3ab8x), or has that
> issue been rectified? I recall contacting one company this year about the
> issue, and they could not give me a definitive answer. Just curious,
thanks.
>
> > Cornell News
> > November 17, 2003
> >
> > ITHACA, N.Y. -- There is a new reason to enjoy hot cocoa on a
> > cold winter's night in front of a cozy fire. Consider it a health drink.
> >
> > Beyond the froth, cocoa teems with antioxidants that prevent cancer,
> > Cornell University food scientists say. Comparing the chemical
> > anti-cancer activity in beverages known to contain antioxidants, they
> > have found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine
> > and up to three times those found in green tea.
> >
> > Their finding will be published Dec. 3 in the American Chemical
Society's
> > Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry , a peer-reviewed publication.
> >
> > Scientists have long known that cocoa contains antioxidants, but no one
> > knew just how plentiful they were compared with those in red wine and
> > green tea.
> >
> > The Cornell researchers, led by Chang Y. (Cy) Lee, chairman of the
> > Department of Food Science and Technology at the university's New
> > York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., say the
> > reason that cocoa leads the other drinks is its high content of
> > compounds called phenolic phytochemicals, or flavonoids, indicating
> > the presence of known antioxidants that can stave off cancer, heart
> > disease and other ailments.
> >
> > They discovered 611 milligrams of the phenolic compound gallic acid
> > equivalents (GAE) and 564 milligrams of the flavonoid epicatechin
> > equivalents (ECE) in a single serving of cocoa.
> >
> > Examining a glass of red wine, the researchers found 340 milligrams of
> > GAE and 163 milligrams of ECE. In a cup of green tea, they found
> > 165 milligrams of GAE and 47 milligrams of ECE.
> >
> > "If I had made a prediction before conducting the tests, I would have
> > picked green tea as having the most antioxidant activity," said Lee.
> > "When we compared one serving of each beverage, the cocoa turned
> > out to be the highest in antioxidant activity, and that was surprising
to
> me."
> >
> > Phenolic compounds protect plants against insects and pathogens, and
> > they remain active even after food processing. A decade ago "food
> > scientists did not know that phenolics had an important role in human
> > health," says Lee.
> >
> > Lee and his colleagues used two chemical tests that measured how well
> > the cocoa compounds scavenge for free radicals -- agents that cause
> > cancer, heart disease and other diseases.
> >
> > In the paper, the researchers discuss eating chocolate bars instead of
> > drinking cocoa. "Although a bar of chocolate exhibits strong
> > antioxidant activity, the health benefits are still controversial
because
> > of the saturated fats present, "the researchers write.
> >
> > They explain that cocoa has about one-third of a gram of fat per
> > one-cup serving, compared with eight grams of fat in a standard-size
> > 40-gram chocolate bar.
> >
> > Faced with the confusing prospect of drinking red wine or green tea
> > or cocoa, Lee suggests enjoying all three in different parts of the day.
> >
> > "Personally, I would drink hot cocoa in the morning, green tea in the
> > afternoon and a glass of red wine in the evening. That's a good
> > combination," he says.
> >
> > The research paper is titled "Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals
> > and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine." Lee's
> > collaborators are his former graduate student, Ki Won Lee; Hyong Joo
> > Lee, a professor at Seoul National University, South Korea; and Young
> > Jun Kim, a post-doctoral researcher at Cornell.
> >
> > The research was funded in part by the BioGreen 21 Program, Rural
> > Development Administration, Republic of South Korea.
> >
> > http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases...a-Lee.bpf.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>