Refuting chocolate and beef's bad reputation - Your Life - Brief Article

Don't be timid this Valentine's Day as you open a box of chocolate treats, and don't be afraid to indulge if your date treats you to a prime-rib dinner. Researchers at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say that eating chocolate and prime rib in moderation to celebrate Valentine's Day is nothing to get choked up about.

"A treat with chocolate can fit into a cholesterol-lowering diet," indicates Margo Denke, associate professor of internal medicine and senior investigator in the Center for Human Nutrition. "Beef has also been given a bad name. You can eat lean beef, but you have to be reminded that fatty beef can raise cholesterol."

One of the primary fatty acids that is found in chocolate and beef--stearic acid--does not raise cholesterol levels or clog arteries, Denke points out, explaining that stearic acid has a moderating effect. "Our research shows that the main fatty acid found in chocolate and beef is a different kind of saturated fat. It essentially has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels."

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