Today I went to the third annual INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE SALON in San Francisco. Dozens of chocolatiers were represented, including some of the giants and a number of small, artisan brands. And I tasted and tasted and tasted. At one point, I got a ham and cheese sandwich on a very good French roll and took a bite between tastings to cleanse my palate. A lot of the dark chocolate was quite delicious, with ingredients including everything from mushrooms to mangos to ginger and chili pepper. The Xocai healthy dark chocolate booth was one of the busiest. And it reconfirmed my judgement about the taste of Xocai when I found not a single sample that was better in any way. Of course this is totally subjective. But I also noticed that there was hardly a whisper of the health benefits from the other manufacturers--and with good reason, as almost all of them, with very few exceptions, heat and adulterate their chocolate in the processing, to greatly diminish the antioxidant content.
So when I got back to my computer, I went to look up a book on Amazon.com, and found something I had never seen before, an article for sale instead of a book. And it was a research article, and was only 356 words long, just a single page, and they were charging $9.95! And I paid it, because the teaser line reads:
RESVERATROL IN DARK CHOCOLATE AND COCOA LEADS TO ANTI-AGING
When I got the article downloaded, it got really exciting, as it says:
The new age health obsession with anti-aging medicine and longevity has finally been given a fresh insight with recent scientific evidence proving the anti-aging abilities of a naturally occurring compound found in cocoa.
Recent research on the anti-aging effects of resveratrol has led to widespread media attention. Resveratrol is a compound found in dark chocolate, cocoa and red wine. Dr. David Sinclair, an Australian scientist and head of Harvard Medical School's anti-aging research team is developing what could turn out to be a genuine elixir of youth derived from resveratrol.
Resveratrol has been found to turn on the "longevity" gene which could assist organisms with living up to 20% longer. Dr. Sinclair's lab trials on mice over three years provided promising results and he sold his discovery to a pharmaceutical company for $750 million. The drug is currently in clinical trials and could hit shelves within the next five years.
This new research by Dr. Sinclair further reaffirms the health benefits of dark chococlate and cocoa as indicated by the American Heart Association.
I'll say. In fact, I did say--in several of these blog postings, including the February 18th post, THE SMELL OF CHOCOLATE--PART TWO in which I said:
"Just as I had decided I must include a chapter on how dark chocolate can increase longevity--a sort of follow-up to my earlier book, PSYCHOLOGICAL IMMORTALITY, I came upon by serendipitous accident on Canada.com, the story of the two ladies who have been certified as the longest living people ever, and both of them were chocoholics. Is that sweet or what?"
Not to mention..okay I will mention it..the posting from December 31st on A RESEARCH REPORT THAT CAN PROLONG LIFE, in which I said:
"I don't think I'm going too far out on the limb to suggest that consuming this high dose of antioxidants on a daily basis could reverse the aging process to the extent that it might add three to five healthy years to our lifespan."
So you can understand why I feel like thumbing my nose at all those folks who told me they can't see spending $110 a month for chocolate. And despite the fact that I kept repeating that it was a health food, a superfood, something that would produce amazing health benefits--not to mention probably the lowest start-up costs possible for a home-based business that can produce substantial financial rewards on a long term residual basis. No, I'm not going to say, "I told you so." But I can think it, can't I?
And how about some applause for American science?
(Okay, Dr. Sinclair is actually an Australian, but he did his work here at Harvard--and more ChocoHistory, not that far from the site of America's first chocolate factory in Dorchester, Massachusetts, built by Dr. James Baker in 1765--and he was a Harvard grad.)
I feel great about a scientist trying to help humanity getting $750 million for his formula. Maybe that will get some kids into science programs in school...it even looks good compared to the salaries of entertainers and sports stars.
Jerry
And if you haven't yet checked out my new website at www.UnguiltyPleasures.net,
and looked at the Xocai video, or e-mailed me to get a free sample of the healthy dark chocolate--and are waiting to be further convinced, forget about it. You're either ready or not. I can be reached at jerrygillies@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment