Heart Dark Chocolate

By John Robbins: There is a growing body of credible scientific evidence that chocolate contains a host of heart-healthy and mood-enhancing phytochemicals, with benefits to both body and mind.

For one, chocolate is a plentiful source of antioxidants. These are substances that reduce the ongoing cellular and arterial damage caused by oxidative reactions.

You may have heard of a type of antioxidants called polyphenols. These are protective chemicals found in plant foods such as red wine and green tea. Chocolate, it turns out, is particularly rich in polyphenols. According to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the same antioxidant properties found in red wine that protect against heart disease are also found in comparable quantities in chocolate.

How does chocolate help to prevent heart disease? Continue reading »

The Importance of Vitamin D

By Cathie Dunal MD, MPH: The list of Vitamin D’s impact has expanded to both physical and psychological health:

•. Lower rates of colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancer and melanoma
•. Less risk for stroke and heart attacks
•. Less risk for allergies and autoimmune disease
•. Prevents osteoporosis, through its role in assisting calcium absorption
•. Better immunity—fewer colds and flu
•. Lower risk of Alzheimer’s
•. Improved mood
•. Lower rates of multiple sclerosis.  (However, this may be a false association because the lower rates are also associated with lower latitudes and more sun—it could be due to another component of sunshine.)

How much Vitamin D should you take?………. Continue reading »