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There is nothing quite like winding down the day with a cup of tea and chocolate... actually that is good on any day!
-Stephanie

Tea and chocolate
by Audrey

Tea and chocolate... You're probably wondering if those two can really be good for you, aren't you? After all, chocolate has a lot of calories and tea has caffeine. Allow me to explain how these two can be good for you.

A Pennsylvania State-led review (done in 2002) of the available 66 published studies, supports the view that consuming flavonoid-rich tea and/or chocolate, in moderation, can be associated with the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tea, without milk or sugar, does not contain any calories and contains plenty of antioxidant flavonoids. Tea can be added to your diet without increasing your weight. A chocolate cookie that also contains fruits and nuts along with the tea (remember to practice moderation) may be a heart healthy snack.

Tea and chocolate can be beneficial to one's health.

As long as you eat chocolate in moderation, and prepare and drink your tea the way it was meant to be drunk, then you'll really be able to enjoy these two delicacies.

On this planet, there isn't just one food that can be absorbed singly and give us everything that our body needs. A balance has to be achieved amongst all kinds of food. Both, tea and chocolate, which are plant foods (let's not forget that one!), can be included as part of a healthy diet. But chocolate has to be eaten in moderation (because of its high-calories) along with other flavonoid-rich plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

It is widely known that tea contains flavonoids, however, watch out for chocolate. The amount of flavonoids in commercial chocolates will vary greatly from one kind to another. Some might not contain any flavonoids while others might contain a good amount.

Note: The research in regards to flavonoids and all of their health benefits are still in progress. Hence, the amount of flavonoids chocolate contains is rarely written on the ingredients of a chocolate bar. In order to make sure that you do get chocolate that is flavonoid-rich, I suggest that you stick with chocolates that are of high quality as high quality ingredients are usually used.

Although weight gain is a possible effect of eating chocolate, the increase of "bad" cholesterol is not. It has been noted that the major form of fat in chocolate is stearic acid. Stearic acid is a cholesterol-neutral when it is presented in a diet in moderate amounts. So don't worry about getting "bad" cholesterol as long as you eat good-quality chocolate in moderation!

Don't forget, this isn't a green light to go on a chocolate binge!

In conclusion, studies on tea and chocolate support the concept that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods may be beneficial to your health.

Other Links:
Java Coffee and Tea
Chocolate

For more information, please visit this articles web page.

This article was published on Wednesday 02 April, 2008.

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