Chocolate News: Cocoa Cure for Migraine

Tableya Chocolate Cake. Made with hardcore chocolate.

Have a headache? Eat chocolate!

A recent study conducted by Missouri State University shows that chocolate "represses inflammatory responses linked to migraine." Tested on rats, results show that a cocoa-enriched diet increases anti-inflammatory compounds and decreases pro-inflammatory responses in the brain.

In simple English: adding chocolate to your diet might help fight migraines (contrary to rumors that chocolate causes migraine, hah!). Isn't that cool? Read the news report here. Did I not say chocolate is the answer to everything? Can you tell I love being right about this?

One of the best chocolate cakes I've had, ever, was at a coffeeshop in Manila called Cordillera Coffee (see photo above). I was working on a story about local Arabica coffee grown in the Benguet mountains when they gave me a slice of chocolate cake to try. Made from unsweetened, homemade, totally badass cocoa tablets called tableyas, the cake flaunted a moist consistency similar to a rice cake, but not nearly as heavy. Sidenote: Tableyas are used to make uber-rich homemade hot chocolate; the thick, full-bodied kind that gets its bold flavor from cocoa beans. It was fantastic.

Speaking of hot chocolate, check out this HowCast video on how to make homemade hot chocolate.. and none of that Swiss Miss crap (I added that).

Enjoy!

- Kris Alcantara

Today's Sugarhigh: Southern Red Velvet Cupcake from Mr.Cupcakes
Score: A

I Heart Chocolate.

Chocolates mend broken hearts. Well, sort of.

Next time you're visiting someone in the hospital with heart problems, dump the flowers. Head to the candy store instead.

A recent study said heart attack victims who ate chocolate two or more times a week were linked to "a 66 percent reduction in cardiac mortality while less frequent consumption was also associated with smaller decreased risks."

In simple English: the more they ate chocolate the lesser the chance heart attack victims died of heart-related problems. Eating less chocolate was also linked to a lower rate of not dying of heart-related problems.

Another study said anti-oxidant rich chocolate lowered blood pressure in an experiment conducted on mice. The drop in blood pressure was said to be comparable to a popular anti-hypertensive drug called Captopril.

Hate to say I told you so, but chocolate is good for you and I told you so.

- Kris Alcantara