{"id":1879,"date":"2015-06-23T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/chocolate-countdown-number-4-reason-to-eat-chocolate-that-you-never-saw-coming.html"},"modified":"2016-09-19T11:07:13","modified_gmt":"2016-09-19T15:07:13","slug":"chocolate-countdown-number-4-reason-to-eat-chocolate-that-you-never-saw-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1879","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate Countdown, Number 4 Reason To Eat Chocolate That You Never Saw Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It can help boost your metabolism. Sounds like hype, but plow on brave reader.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

Follow @willclower<\/a><\/p>\n

But first, let\u2019s just make sure you\u2019re tethered to reality. Chocolate, even the high-cocoa kind that you should be eating, will not make you fit. Sorry. You can\u2019t poke down a bar of 70% dark chocolate and be totally ripped by morning. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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It\u2019s just not going to happen. Instead, it\u2019ll do for your fitness exactly what it does for your weight. High-cocoa chocolate creates the conditions inside your body that help you succeed. It\u2019s your little helper, so you can get from where you are now to where you want to be\u2014whether that goal is in weight loss or fitness. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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How Chocolate Helps Boosts Energy <\/o:p><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a>Chocolate can increase your energy levels through the specific kind of antioxidants most abundant in cocoa: catechins and epicatechins. These antioxidants do two very important things to increase your muscles\u2019 ability to create more energy for you to use. First, they increase the amount of nutrients your muscles have to work with, and then they further increase the micromolecular organelles that produce the energy itself.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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To nourish and power your muscles in the first place, you have to get the nutrients into the muscular fibers from oxygenated blood. So, if you need more energy, you\u2019ll need more nutrients, and you\u2019ll need more capillaries to infiltrate the tissue.<\/span>  <\/span>That\u2019s the first need.<\/span><\/div>\n

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The second requirement is to be able to turn those extra nutrients into extra energy. For this, you need the mitochondria, which are tiny organelles. The mighty mitochondria organelles are the power plants that make the energy that make you move. Without them, you don\u2019t have the energy needed to move. <\/span><\/div>\n

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So if you are feeling lethargic and don\u2019t want to do anything but veg out on the couch and binge watch the Sopranos, you can blame your mitochondria. It won\u2019t do you any good, but it will certainly make you feel better to blame something that you can\u2019t see or touch, and most people don\u2019t even know what they are.<\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cHey, what are you doing?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cJust being a slug on the couch. It\u2019s my mitochondria.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cOh, that sounds awful. What is it?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cMitochondrial malaise, you know, a medical condition with tons of syllables.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

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You\u2019ll be so impressive, right up until the moment your friends discover Google.<\/span><\/div>\n

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Chocolate may be what you turn to during your attack of mitochondrial malaise, but it also happens to be a solution for that very same affliction. Not chocolate per se, but the cocoa in chocolate, which has the highest levels of epicatechins. That\u2019s because sustained cocoa consumption produces a happy downstream effect on top of the increased capillary formation in your muscles: new mitochondria formation.<\/span>[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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In other words, the epicatechins you get when you eat high-cocoa chocolate do both things that you need in order to increase your energy. This is definitely good news for athletes, and also for anyone who wants to eat chocolate, and lose weight doing it.<\/span><\/div>\n

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You actually get more of a boost when you combine activity with high-cocoa chocolate consumption. The number of capillaries to your muscles increases (including your heart muscle, by the way), and the number of new mitochondria increases when those muscles are activated.<\/span><\/div>\n

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How many more? According to one study, cocoa epicatechins alone produce a 30% increase in fatigue resistance and a 30% increase in new blood supply. However, the increase in energy that you get from combining cocoa epicatechins with exercise amounts to a boost of 50%!<\/span>[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span>In layman\u2019s terms, that\u2019s a huge increase in your ability to complete your exercises and to go through a normal day with increased energy.<\/span><\/div>\n

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The outcome of this is simple: fatigue resistance. And think about what this would mean for you in the context of your normal day. How much would a little fatigue resistance be worth to you? For example, if someone had a pill that could reduce fatigue without also killing your liver, causing you to break out into boils, or sending you into convulsions [\u201cDon\u2019t take it if you\u2019re pregnant or operate heavy machinery; ask your doctor if convulsions are right for you\u201d], you\u2019d buy that. This side effect\u2013 fatigue resistance \u2013 comes from the combination of high-cocoa chocolate and moderate activity.<\/span><\/div>\n

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How long will it take for these changes to occur? It took 2 weeks for experimental animals to see a 30% increase in fatigue resistance.<\/span>[3]<\/span><\/span><\/span>In a separate study, it took 4 weeks to see increased capillaries and mitochondria.<\/span>[4]<\/span><\/span><\/span> And subjects with type 2 diabetes who were administered 100 milligrams of epicatechins per day for 3 months showed a significant increase in mitochondria.<\/span>[5]<\/span><\/span><\/span> In fact, before taking the epicatechins, their energy-producing mitochondria had all but withered away. It was only with the addition of the high-cocoa chocolate that their mitochondria were restored.<\/span><\/div>\n

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Does that mean you have to have chocolate every day for 3 months before you see improvements in your energy levels? (Okay, worse things could happen.) No, you don\u2019t have to wait 3 months. You\u2019ll see an increase in energy within those first few weeks, because the increased capillaries and mitochondria are progressive and develop over time.<\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n

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[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> L Nogueira et al., \u201c(-)-Epicatechin Enhances Fatigue Resistance and Oxidative Capacity in Mouse Muscle,\u201d Journal of Physiology<\/i> 589, pt. 18 (September 15, 2011); 4615\u201331.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> I Ramirez-Sanchez et al., \u201cStimulatory Effects of the Flavanol (-)-Epicatechin on Cardiac Angiogenesis: Additive Effects with Exercise,\u201d Cardiovascular Pharmacology<\/i> 60, no. 5 (November 2012): 429\u201338.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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[3]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> L Nogueira et al., \u201c(-)-Epicatechin Enhances Fatigue Resistance and Oxidative Capacity in Mouse Muscle,\u201d Journal of Physiology<\/i> 589, pt. 18 (September 15, 2011): 4615\u201331.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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[4]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> M Huttemann et al., \u201c(-)-Epicatechin Maintains Endurance Training Adaptation in Mice after 14 Days of Detraining,\u201d FASEB Journal <\/span><\/i>26, no. 4 (April <\/span>2012): 1413\u201322.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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[5]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> PR Taub et al., \u201cAlterations in Skeletal Muscle Indicators of Mitochondrial Structure and Biogenesis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure: Effects of Epicatechin Rich Cocoa,\u201d Clinical and Translational Science<\/i> 5, no. 1 (February 2012): 43\u00ad\u20137.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


<\/span>For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website. <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It can help boost your metabolism. Sounds like hype, but plow on brave reader. Follow @willclower But first, let\u2019s just make sure you\u2019re tethered to reality. Chocolate, even the high-cocoa … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[494],"tags":[43,273,229],"class_list":["post-1879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-chocolate","tag-exercise","tag-fitness"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Qv5g-uj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1891,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1891","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":0},"title":"AskWill: This Valentines Day learn the difference between chocolate and “chocolate”","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 11, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Will,\u00a0With Valentine\u2019s Day coming up I\u2019m a bit confused. Normally I\u2019d just get chocolates for my wife, knowing that they\u2019re a decadent, not-so-good-for-you treat.\u00a0But lately I\u2019ve heard that there\u2019s good chocolate and bad chocolate. \u00a0Now I feel like I could actually making wrong choice!Dear Confused, As the bearer of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/valentines-day-chocolates2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2616,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2616","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":1},"title":"Chocolate Eating Lessons","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 5, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Eat the dark chocolate:As popular as milk chocolate is, it\u2019s the dark chocolate that\u2019s healthful.What gives chocolate its trove of amazing health properties is the cocoa itself. And, if you had to guess ... how many GRAINS of cocoa do you suppose there to be in standard chocolate confections, Kit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1950,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1950","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":2},"title":"Chocolate and “fat bloom” … it’s not what you think","author":"Will Clower","date":"April 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"When you hear these two things together -- \"chocolate\" and \"fat bloom\" -- you're thinking ... oh I see, I eat chocolate and then my fat blooms.Actually, fat bloom is like sugar bloom in your chocolate. All it means is that either the fat or the sugar\u00a0crystallizes together and forms\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/ChocolateStrawberry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1874,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1874","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":3},"title":"Chocolate Countdown, Number 1 Reason To Eat Chocolate That You Never Saw Coming","author":"Will Clower","date":"June 26, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Weight loss. Yes you do have to eat the right kind of chocolate, and no you can't over-consume it with a plunger.\u00a0But if you can manage those two issues (quantity and quality) then this is definitely the number 1 reason to eat chocolate, that you never saw coming!Follow @willclowerIf done\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/EatChocolateLoseWeight-180.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2213,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2213","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":4},"title":"Chocolate Is a Health Food For Your Brain. Here’s why.","author":"Will Clower","date":"December 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Great article by Kristen Coveleskie on Chocolate ... and the ways that this wonderful food (isn't it its own food group??) acts like a drug that is actually very, very good for your brain!!(please share this with anyone who loves chocolate ... yeah right!)\u00a0\u00a0While thinking of things to put in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_HAl9r2q_-j0\/TQWFAPjL9QI\/AAAAAAAAC08\/hmJo9cmDBQs\/s320\/ChocolateStrawberry.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2617,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2617","url_meta":{"origin":1879,"position":5},"title":"Chocolate Eating Lessons","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"With an estimated 1.1 billion pounds of chocolate to be sold and consumed this Valentine\u2019s Day, I know I'll make chocolate lovers happy to know that chocolate can actually be a virtue, not a vice.If you find the right kind of chocolate, and consume it using healthful eating behaviors, what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1879"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3921,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions\/3921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}