Thursday, September 20, 2007

MEIJI CACAO 86%

So upon consultation with my doctor, i was allowed to eat chocolate for as long as the chocolate content doesn't go any lower than 76%. Guess what? I found a chocolate bar from Meiji that actaullay offers 72%, 86% and 99% cacao. The 86% and 99% will definitely need a lot of getting used to because there is no sweetness at all... but bitter chocolate has its advantages. Meijii 86% is available in most big groceries, while the 72% is only available at SM Snack exchange.

I found out about Meiji Cacao 86% when i went to Robinsons Supermarket at Blue Wave Mall in Marikina. I then wrote Meiji Singapore an email inquiring if they carry 76& cacao. It was Miss Letty Chua of Grand Dragon Enterprises, Inc., local distributor of Meiji in the Philippines, who answered my email and told me that SM Snack Exchange carries the particular chocolate bar of Meiji.

Bitter or dark chocolate are rich in flavonoids. Dark chocolate contains more flavoniods than any other food -- including green tea, black tea, red wine, and blueberries. Flavonoids provide important protective benefits to plants, such as in repairing damage and shielding from environmental toxins. When we consume plant-based foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power (source: http://www.clevelandclinic.org). According to www..aacnjournals.org, "one of the recently identified virtues of chocolate is its lofty ranking as the third largest dietary source of antioxidants—those chemicals beloved for their free radical-fighting properties that preserve cell membranes, protect DNA, prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that leads to atherosclerosis, and prevent plaque formation within arterial walls".

No wonder the Mayans worshiped chocolate. They even called it the Food of the Gods. Now we know why!



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