Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Omega 3s and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Omega 3s are something that everyone has heard of. In fact many nutritionists including myself consider them to be essential to a healthy daily vitamin regimen. But many people I talk to ask a few …
WEIGHT LOSS~A TASTY WAY TO HELP REACH THAT GOAL By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT As we enter a New Year, a common goal for many people is to lose weight…and their mantra is usually “New Year, New Me”. But, how can we stick …
COCOA HX: THE DELICIOUS SUPERFOOD
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
When it comes to enjoying something indulgent and decadent, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is CHOCOLATE. It’s comforting as it takes us back to our childhood and brings back all kinds of warm and happy memories. It can also make us feel rich and fancy as it pairs well with so many things, whether it’s in a dessert or as a drink. However, it’s also believed to be healthy and good for us too. How is this possible? Let’s explore everyone’s favorite superfood and find out.
Chocolate, or cocoa, has been around and used by many cultures for centuries. Cocoa is grown in warm climates, typically close to the equator. The beans are extracted from the pods and go through a drying process before they are ready to be ground down into the more familiar form we all know and love. From here, we can nibble on the bitter nibs which have the texture of coffee beans, or can be ground to a powder to be scooped into a drink or recipe or made into the all familiar chocolate bar.
Navigating which cocoa can offer health benefits can be tricky as there are so many types of chocolate varieties available. We see unsweetened, milk, dark, extra dark, and often with the percentage of cocoa on the label….like 72% cocoa. Some may provide health benefits, while others are strictly for taste.
NIBS: These are ground, dried cocoa beans that are extremely bitter. They can be adding to smoothies are you can nobble on them, but the bitterness makes them not very tasty. They thought to be the purest form to consume and believed to be rich in antioxidants and may even have some anti-inflammatory properties.
DARK CHOCOLATE: This is chocolate that usually contains 50%-90%, sometimes even a little higher, of cocoa. This has minimal added sugar while still tasting good. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this type of cocoa can have a wide range of health benefits. It’s shown to be helpful for a healthy heart, blood pressure, protects the skin and is a good source of fiber.
MILK CHOCOLATE/CHOCOLATE MILK: This is most common in commercial bars or in the popular chocolate milk drink. While this still contains cocoa, it is also high in milk/dairy and sugar. This can aggravate those with certain health issues, such as lactose intolerance. According to a study titled “Chocolate Milk Consequences: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Consequences of Banning Chocolate Milk in School Cafeterias” from The National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information, the high sugar content can also be a contributing factor to obesity, especially in school aged children. My Advice: avoid this type of overly processed cocoa at all costs.
COCOA HX is an easy, delicious and nutritious way to incorporate cocoa into a healthy daily diet. This supplies 4000mg of cocoa bean powder with natural sweeteners such as stevia and fruit extracts. It can easily be added to water, smoothies, recipes, plain yogurt or even almond milk for a healthy daily treat. What an indulgent way to get this centuries old superfood and get all the health benefits it offers without feeling guilty!
www.masterclass.com/articles/cacao-guide#KmmtqrcT5NyfUe47T3Hf4
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cacao-nibs
www.health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8470865/
www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/nutrition/is-chocolate-milk-a-healthy-drink/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989166/
The Benefits of Beets Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets …
HEALTHY HOLIDAY RECIPES By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT The holidays are always a time when we naturally indulge in all kinds of delicious meals and treats. To help keep you on track, here are some festive and healthy holiday recipes! CANDY CANE …
Collagen for the Heart?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my last blog I mentioned that I would be reviewing a few supplements for the heart that you normally don’t associate with heart health. The first such supplement is collagen! Collagen is an important building block for many parts of the body. Remember those valves I wrote about in the anatomy of the heart blog? Those valves are very important in keeping blood flowing in the right direction. Well collagen is a huge part of these valves and the muscles that work to open and close them. According to studies without enough collagen in the body these valves don’t function optimally. In fact deficiencies in collagen proteins may lead to valve disease. (1)
In addition to helping with the valves of the heart collagen has been found to help certain blood markers that are used to treat heart health. Studies have found collagen to help with lowering LDL and lowering blood pressure. Additionally studies have found that collagen can even increase the levels of HDL which helps to protect the heart! (2, 3)
Collagen has also been found to help in fighting atherosclerosis or the buildup of plaque that occurs in both our heart and in our blood vessels. (4) In addition to being important to our heart itself collagen is also an important part of our blood vessels. Basically what collagen does is allow our arteries to be flexible and elastic. This is important for things such as our blood pressure. When there is a deficiency of collagen the arteries will become less flexible. This can in the long term lead to blood pressure going up and thus it can increase our risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke! (5)
Studies have found so many uses for collagen in keeping us healthy! For example as I mentioned in my series on joint health collagen can help with the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Studies have found that taking collagen supplement can help with general joint pain and even joint stiffness! (6) Related to our joint health in way is our bone health. Our bones are basically made of 2 parts and these are the mineral part and the collagen part. Picture a ladder that is filled with pillows. That is basically our bones. The ladder is the mineral part and the collagen the soft pillow part. Studies indicate that collagen supplements may slow the breakdown of bone which is what leads to a decrease in our bone density. (7)
Collagen has also been found in studies to help with our muscle strength and health. This is particularity true for those that are experiencing sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass that occurs as we age. (8) This may be something that you may say but wait I’m still young! Why do I need to care about something that may not happen for years? Because as I always say it is better to prevent a problem now than actually have to treat a problem after it occurs.
From both studies and my own practical experience, I can tell you that collagen is excellent for gut health. For anyone with leaky gut syndrome collagen can be a wonderful addition to any treatment protocol.
But these concerns are just our internal “stuff” as they say. What about our hair, skin and nails? Does collagen do anything for these structures? The answer is yes! Collagen is one of the building blocks for these structures and studies show that collagen can help maintain their health. (9)
One of the questions I get asked all the time is how do I use the Collagen Hx ? My answer is in any way that you will be able to do consistently. For example if you make a daily shake adding collagen is an easy way to take it. However if you hate shakes then that’s not the choice for you. It is better to add it to a beverage you do like. Drink a daily cup of tea or even coffee? Add your collagen to help make your regular beverage a nutritious start to your day. Do you like to start your day with yogurt or even oatmeal? Collagen can be added to both of these! Collagen is also fine mixed with plan water too! Remember what I always say about consistency. It is key to the way supplements work. And don’t be afraid to try new things. You might try a fruit smoothie with collagen and find you love it!
In our next blog I will be talking about blood pressure which is an important topic for everyone no matter their age.
