With flu season upon us, we’ll see whether or not the media and vaccine producers can gin up one other pandemic. If in any respect attainable, each community, cable information group, newspaper and web web site will as soon as once more be issuing pandemic alert ranges, well being disaster headline banners, breathless breaking information studies and photographs of masked plenty on the entrance traces of the assault. When you watch it and skim it – and who will not – it’s going to rapidly elevate your cortisol ranges and ship you right into a heightened state of hysteria.

Many people do not do effectively with anxiousness, in search of consolation in meals just like the emotional overeaters that we’re. For a few of us, nonetheless, there may very well be a shiny aspect to a pandemic.

The excellent news is that in reaching for our favourite anxiousness aid medicine of darkish chocolate, we would even be boosting our immune methods and defending towards the dreaded flu. A Spanish examine revealed within the British Journal of Vitamin, discovered that top doses of cocoa fed to younger rats supported immune system perform. This adopted a 2007 examine by a few of the similar researchers displaying cocoa fed to rats elevated the antioxidant capability within the thymus, which produces hormones that stimulate cells utilized in immune response.

Why would not chocolate assist us, too? We ought to be keen to experiment. Earlier human research had already discovered that the odor and pleasure of consuming chocolate over lengthy durations will increase a strong antibody known as secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) which strengthens illness resistance.

We already knew that darkish chocolate is loaded with flavenols and that it has one of many highest antioxidant scores of all naturally occurring meals. Antioxidant energy is measured by a meals’s oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC). The upper the ORAC rating of a meals the richer its antioxidant content material.

In accordance with Joshua Needleman, chocolatier at Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, Massachusetts and an skilled on the matter, uncooked cacao has an ORAC rating of about 13,000 in comparison with blueberries with a rating of two,400. The ORAC rating of cacao is decreased with the addition of sugar and milk. Due to this fact move on the milk chocolate and search for chocolate that’s 65-70% cacao, which implies that sugar, vanilla, lecithin and different components are stored at 30-35% of the overall.

For a good more healthy model, search for uncooked natural Chocolate Mushroom Bars that’s made with no refined sugar, ldl cholesterol, dairy or gluten. Some even have added goji berries, agave nectar, gingko biloba, acai, raspberries and extracted reishi mushrooms (additionally an immune booster).

So if in case you have a possibility, by no means let a great pandemic go to waste. Flip off the TV, put your ft up, take off the flu masks and revel in some healthful darkish chocolate.

Margie King is an authorized holistic well being coach, Wharton M.B.A. and former company legal professional. Margie leads workshops on diet, conducts wholesome cooking courses, and presents particular person and group well being and diet teaching to girls and busy professionals.