Tasty Tools Against Heart Disease And Cancer: Chocolate And Strawberries

Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate and strawberries offer anti-heart disease/cancer benefits

Too often eating healthy and indulging yourself are mutually exclusive. Fortunately, recent research suggests that flavonoid-rich dark chocolate and strawberries offer benefits against heart disease and cancer, the top two killers of Americans under age 85.

Flavonoids, a group of chemical compounds with antioxidant properties found in a variety of plants and especially in chocolate, have been shown to benefit the cardiovascular system, including making blood vessels flexible; lowering the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol; inhibiting blood platelet clumping (which can lead to heart attack producing blood clots); and decreasing the body's inflammatory immune response, which contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Independent research from Italy, reported in the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also confirms that chocolate, especially dark chocolate which is high in flavonoid-rich cocoa content, can lower blood pressure.

But dark chocolate's heart healthy qualities don't mean that eating a mountain of it is a good idea. Because it's high calorie, it should be eaten in moderation as a treat - or in combination with healthy foods such as strawberries, which are showing anti-cancer fighting potential in research studies.

Researchers specializing in the health benefits of plant compounds have shown that quercetin, a flavonoid found in strawberries, can induce programmed self-destruction of human cancer cells. This process, called "apoptosis" is important in cancer prevention since it's one of the primary ways the body eliminates damaged cells.

Studies have also shown the potent cancer-fighting compound ellagic acid, found in strawberries, will attack cancer cells anywhere in the body, helping the immune system destroy them and stopping their ability to multiply. Because ellagic acid is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract rather than the human bloodstream, it is ineffective in tablet form and best absorbed through natural foods, such as strawberries high in its content. Strawberries are rich in other nutrients as well that may play important roles in disease prevention including flavonoids, vitamin C, folate, and potassium.

So for sweet lovers who want to take care of their health, there's never been a better time to indulge. Diane Cara treats her family of five to the gourmet hand dipped strawberry creations of Shari's Berries (www.berries.com), which dips fresh, premium strawberries daily in an exclusive recipe that combines these two healthy flavonoid elements and then adorns them with bits of almond, coconut shavings, pure semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips, or fancy swirls.

"We all have a sweet tooth," said Cara. "By the same token, I am very health conscious and try to include fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet as often as possible. Shari's Berries meet our needs. The strawberries are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, so I don't mind the children eating such a treat."

The hand dipped berries "reflect balance when it comes to good health," adds Jennifer Lombardi, another health conscious sweet lover. "A little fruit, a little chocolate, what better balance could there be?"

For more info on hand dipped strawberries, call Shari's Berries at 916-780-9656; or visit www.berries.com on the Internet. To order toll-free, call 1-877-BERRIES or 1-877-237-7437, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Source: Shari's Berries