Indulge Without the Guilt

Whether you are cozying up to your significant other or having a date with your favorite television show, indulge in chocolates and a glass of wine this Valentine’s Day without the guilt!  Yes, chocolate and red wine, in moderation, can be good for you.

     Research has shown that cocoa contains flavonoids which increase blood flow to the brain and may even help protect against dementia.  Chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa offers the most benefits. However, chocolate is high in saturated fats, so it is a good idea to only treat yourself to chocolate once a week. Now, if you are looking for something to wash that chocolate down with, try a glass of red wine.  Chefs and culinary enthusiasts know that chocolate and red wine are a match made in heaven and not just because of their tastes.  We often hear that drinking red wine is good for your heart, but research is showing that it also provides benefits to the brain.  Red wine contains the powerful antioxidant, resveratrol, which may prevent free radicals from damaging brain cells and block the formation of plaque in the brain which may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Resveratrol has drawn a lot of interest from researchers.  Another recent study shows that the compound may slow the development of protein clumps in the brain called amyloid fibrils.  These amyloid fibrils are what aggregate into plaques commonly found in Alzheimer’s disease.

     Now, again, moderation is key.  Up to two glasses for women, and three glasses for men per week is the recommended amount of consumption.  A recent study showed that moderate red wine consumption was associated with better brain function and performance on all cognitive tests in both men and women participating in the study.  Although the study was conducted in a laboratory and not in live animals or people, researchers tested resveratrol’s effects on fibrils.  They combined it with a type of amyloid protein and looked for aggregation.  Results showed that the higher the amount of resveratrol, the lower the amount of aggregation.  Resveratrol had reduced the amount of aggregation by as much as 90 percent!

     Of course, much research is yet to be done for Alzheimer’s disease, but rest easy the next time you sip a glass of wine and eat your troubles away with a piece of chocolate.  In a world of bad news, it’s nice to know that what was once looked at as a guilty pleasure, might now help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.   So when you and your sweetheart sit down to dinner this Valentine’s Day, what other things, besides good health, will you toast your glasses to?

http://bit.ly/cf9y2L
http://bit.ly/34BRvX
http://bit.ly/5fFY8O