Iron Deficient? Forget Beef. Eat Some Chocolate!
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Iron Deficient? Forget Beef. Eat Some Chocolate!
Doctors who say that a person who is iron deficient should eat red meat absolutely do not know nutrition. Actually, doctors do not get very much nutritional training in medical school (and when I say "not very much," I'm talking paltry at best). Not only is red meat terrible for the body (sorry folks, it's a fact. Just ask the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and American Diabetes Association), but there are plenty of (non-animal) foods that are much higher in iron than red meat and offer many more nutritional benefits as well, like spinach for example.
But what does that have to do with chocolate?
The cacao bean is what chocolate is made from, and eating the crushed, raw bean tastes like nutty, dark chocolate. One brand is Sunfood, though certainly not the only brand out there. But this one will be the focus of this article. The maker's website says this: "This is original, unprocessed dark chocolate from the mineral rich rain forest of Ecuador. Experience chocolate in its pure, raw form. Raw Chocolate is a great source of: Magnesium, Iron, & Vitamin C, 20 times more antioxidants than red wine, and 30 times more than green tea. Processing, cooking and roasting corrupt the complex nutrition of the cacao bean."
So, basically, raw chocolate is very nutritious, but when it is processed into a bar, the further away from its natural state it gets, the more nutrition is lost (dark chocolate is the best to eat, then milk, then white- which has no cacao nutrition left).
Let's break down the raw cacao nutritional information (Sunfood brand) and compare it to beef (raw ground)-each 1 ounce:
The antioxidants alone in raw chocolate:
-Decrease blood pressure
-Improve circulation
-Promote cardiovascular functions and help fight heart disease
-Improve function of endothelial cells that line the circulatory system
-Provide protection from free radicals, which may trigger cancer, heart disease and stroke
-Improve digestion
It's a good source of magnesium, which helps relax nerves and muscles, builds and strengthens bones and keeps blood circulating smoothly. According to several sources, magnesium is the most deficient major mineral in the American diet with over 80 percent of Americans deficient in magnesium. The body does not produce magnesium, so it must be supplied by one’s diet.
Raw chocolate contains many chemicals that may enhance physical and mental well-being. This includes alkaloids, proteins, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic acid, lipase, lysine, and some neurotransmitters such as dopamine and anandamide (the so-called "bliss" chemical.) It also contains theobromine, which has an effect similar to caffeine.
These chemicals:
-Increase Energy. Theobromine stimulates the central nervous system, relaxes smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels. Theobromine has about a quarter of the stimulating power of caffeine.
-Improve Mood. A key element found in cacao helps serotonin and other neurotransmitters (dopamine, anandamide) to circulate longer in the brain. Monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors), a naturally occurring compound, help keep dopamine and anandamide available to the body.
-Anandamide, the so-called “bliss” chemical, is released when we’re feeling great. The anandamide in cacao helps this brain chemical stay longer in our system and contributes to improve moods.
-PEA (Phenylethylamine) is found in cacao beans. It may help lift depression. It is a member of group of plant-based stimulants called methylxanthines. (Caffeine is the most familiar methylxanthine.)
-Diminishes Appetite. Several studies suggest that cacao seems to diminish appetites. This is probably due to the monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) found in cacao. Lots of companies produce cacao nibs, cacao beans, and cacao powder.
Cacao is delicious. The nibs (ground or whole) blend nicely into smoothies, teas, coffee, or any nutritional beverage. The nibs are also good when eaten by the handful. Sprinkle on desserts. Add to any recipe instead of chocolate chips.
For more articles on nutrition, healthy living, and all things "green," visit www.greentidings.org
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Great info. It is so refreshing to see other people who get it! I look forward to reading more from you.
The main problem with using vegatables instead of meat to obtain iron is that the iron is not bound to heme. The body absorbs heme-iron much more readily than it does iron in other forms. If one chooses to use chocolate to obtain their rda of iron then they should make sure that their iron levels are adequate by obtaining regular blood tests.
There is no problem in obtaining all ones' iron needs from non-heme iron (vegan iron). Because the body absorbs less than heme iron (meat), vegans simply have a slightly higher RDA for iron than omnivores. And with cacao providing 314% in one serving (1/4 cup), and the many other wonderful non-heme iron foods, there is rarely a problem getting enough iron. Studies have shown, time and time again, that vegetarians don't have any higher rate of iron-deficiency anemia than omnivores.
And think about the cows, for example. They're vegetarian, but their flesh is rich in iron. How? The same way vegan humans' flesh can be rich in iron.
Humans have an internal regulatory mechanism to control the absorption and storage of iron. Although vegetarians have a lower absorption of iron compared to omnivores, they balance this low absorption with a decrease of iron excretion in the feces. In other words, vegetarians hold on to the iron they do absorb. Omnivores, on the other hand, excrete more iron in response to their higher dietary intakes of this mineral. Hunt JR. Nonheme-iron absorption, fecal ferritin excretion, and blood indexes of iron status in women consuming controlled lactoovovegetarian diets for 8 wk. Am J Clin Nutr 1999 May;69(5):944-52.)
Correction: It only takes 1 ounce of cacao to get 314% RDA iron, not 1/4 (which is more than 1 ounce).
Please quote reputable scientific literature supporting the claims made in this post. Otherwise, these annectodes are entirely worthless.
Robert F 15 months ago
Wow, what important information. Doctors don't even know this stuff (or do they?). They are prescribing to eat beef for iron deficient patients. How ignorant! It must be because eating beef leads to heart problems, which leads to return visits and more prescriptions from the doctors, or even better - surgery... cha-ching! No wonder the pharma stocks are so profitable.