Chocolate Tea and Immune Health

The cocoa plant grows abundantly in Panama where the Kuna Indians live. Drinking about 40 cups of cocoa a week has been a part of the Kuna Indian tradition and lifestyle for hundreds of years. When a team from Harvard Medical School visited the Kuna people they were surprised to see that less than 10% of the population suffers from heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer or diabetes. The Kuna people were also recorded to have longer life spans than their Panamanian counterparts. This was not a hereditary immunity as Kuna Indians who migrated to other parts of the world and adopted a more “western” diet were not immune to heart disease. What is it that keeps the Kuna Indians so healthy? Dr. Hollenberg, who led the study, proposed that a diet that includes plenty of pure cocoa could be the reason behind this unusual protective immunity!1-2Antioxidant Power—Supporting the Body’s Ability to Neutralize Free RadicalsCocoa contains flavonoids and is rich in antioxidants called procyanidins and epicatechin. These flavonoids are also found in Green Tea, particularly the powerful antioxidant known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), Resveratrol is another powerful antioxidant produced naturally by red grapes in response to fungal infection.Antioxidants work on the cellular level and are believed to counteract the damaging effects of free radical activity. Free radical activity destabilizes molecular activity leading to cell disruption, cell mutation and is the main reason for tissue and organ damage, even disease. Antioxidants help to support immune health at the most basic cellular level.In today’s world, stress, pollution, processed food or convenient take-aways, a diet rich in carbohydrates, sugars, saturated fats, even a sedentary lifestyle can create an overload of free radical activity in the body. The body’s immune system finds it difficult to keep up with combating this overload, and as a result the immune system becomes weak. We find ourselves feeling fatigued and susceptible to diverse illnesses. A diet rich in antioxidants can help the body to neutralize free radical activity.Numerous studies show that resveratrol and antioxidants in cocoa and green tea can help the body to support the immune system in various ways.This makes Chocolate Tea a great beverage for supporting immune health!Helping to Stimulate the Production of Immune CellsStudies show that there may be a strong connection between cocoa intake and the production of thymocytes. Thymocytes are white blood cells that are produced in the thymus and are a precursor for T cells. T cells are vital to our body’s immune functions, and are beneficial in reducing the risk of disease.3Green tea contains a high amount of an amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine is known to enhance the body’s immunity. In a Harvard study, people who drank 5 cups of green tea per day had 5 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who did not drink Green Tea.Tea polysaccharides (TPS), one of the main components in green tea, stimulate the production of cytokines in the bone marrow. Cytokines are used in cellular communication and are critical to the body’s immune response to pathogens.4Helps the Body’s Ability to Protect Itself from Virus, Bacteria and FungusResveratrol and EGCG inhibit the replication of the influenza virus. They also exhibit anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. Clinical trials on resveratrol indicate it plays an inhibiting role on the herpes simplex virus, influenza A virus, dermatophytes and bacterial pathogens of the skin and all kinds of fungal infections. Green Tea has been studied for its inhibitive action on adenovirus, virus responsible for common colds.5-12Helping to Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular DiseaseAntioxidants in Green Tea and Chocolate and resveratrol have been individually studied for their role in supporting cardiovascular health. All of them indicate they support heart health by:

CocoPure combines the antioxidant power of pure cocoa, green tea and resveratrol to support immune health. It contains an ORAC value of 5,250 per 7.4 grams.References:

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