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Post by
asakawa
Technically, cocoa powder is pretty healthy. There are a lot of antioxidants.
While I have no reason to doubt the first sentence, the second isn't really supportive of it.
"Antioxidant" is a bit of an over-hyped buzzword and while oxidative stress is a real factor in human physiology, the idea that "some antioxidants are necessary, therefore more must be better" is mostly pseudoscience at best. There's actually some evidence that excessive intake of antioxidants could be toxic though, of course, drinking cups of cocoa isn't a risk of that.
I'm sure that cocoa can be a perfectly healthy addition to one's diet without needing the rather more dubious claim to be an overtly positive thing.
Sorry to jump on a single word like that but "antioxidant" rings my sceptical bells ^_^(##RESPBREAK##)16##DELIM##asakawa##DELIM##
Post by
Gone
You know what cracks me up that this kind of reminds me of, when people say something is "all natural" as a way of trying to convince you that makes it more healthy than a synthetic alternative, or just as inherently healthy.
Cocaine, arsenic, and uranium are all natural too.
Post by
asakawa
Yeah, the naturalistic fallacy. The product in question might be great but the fact that they're focusing on the fallacy suggests to me that the ones making the recommendation are either lying or ignorant, neither of which strengthens the recommendation.
Naturalistic advertising is often backed up by things like an "argument from antiquity" ("first used by the ancient greeks!") and "arguments from authority" ("the skin cream used by Maralyn Monroe!").(##RESPBREAK##)16##DELIM##asakawa##DELIM##
Post by
ElhonnaDS
The antioxidants in cocoa powder are vitamins A, E and C, which are the same vitamins that tend to be the reason we recommend fruit as a snack. I was pointing out that if you don't add fat or sugar to cocoa, it offers nutrients like these, as well as a number of B vitamins I believe, without adding many calories. While I agree that downing thousands of milligrams of these vitamins could have an unhealthy effect, I doubt that anyone is eating enough darkly-colored and citrus fruits and cocoa that they're damaging themselves.
Sometimes people get really hooked on health buzzwords without knowing what they mean, and so they're not making good choices because they're focused on a fad. Sometimes, people are quick to dismiss health concepts what have become buzzwords despite the fact that the base information is valid because they're focused on rejecting fads. The amount of vitamin C you'd have to consume before deoxidization would become a problem would require taking actual supplements. If someone is not using supplements, then picking foods high in these vitamins IS actually a good idea.(##RESPBREAK##)8##DELIM##ElhonnaDS##DELIM##
Post by
Azazel
I should be studying for my math exam tomorrow, but I don't wanna '^'
Post by
Interest
I should be studying for my math exam tomorrow, but I don't wanna '^'
Who studies? Honestly.
Post by
134377
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Azazel
I should be studying for my math exam tomorrow, but I don't wanna '^'
Who studies? Honestly.
People who don't wanna fail highschool :P
Post by
Dragalthor
You know what cracks me up that this kind of reminds me of, when people say something is "all natural" as a way of trying to convince you that makes it more healthy than a synthetic alternative, or just as inherently healthy.
Cocaine, arsenic, and uranium are all natural too.
This is the same as when people say 'I won't eat/drink/use that because it's full of chemicals!'
Post by
asakawa
@El, Precisely my point! I entirely agree that cocoa, divorced from the more problematic additions we commonly make, is not an unhealthy food. But the opposite is also true. Assuming an otherwise healthy approach to food, cocoa will not have a positive effect either. This is why, while its antioxidant content may be quite true, the inclusion of that detail does not support the notion of it being "healthy" in a broader sense.
One doesn't use cocoa in cooking as a vitamin supplement, nor does one use it in quantities significant enough to positively affect one's health. Surely the debunking of negative misconceptions about cocoa is enough without creating new, positive ones.
Post by
ElhonnaDS
EDIT: You know what- never mind.(##RESPBREAK##)8##DELIM##ElhonnaDS##DELIM##
Post by
Hyperspacerebel
I agreed with your deleted post, for what it was worth.
Post by
322702
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
ElhonnaDS
I agreed with your deleted post, for what it was worth.
Thanks.
Post by
Rankkor
"Just because its called "The Black Market" doesn't means its actually painted all black"
I can't believe I had to say that to a fully grown man, when he asked me what I meant by Venezuelan Black Market.
I mean really? o_O
You know what cracks me up that this kind of reminds me of, when people say something is "all natural" as a way of trying to convince you that makes it more healthy than a synthetic alternative, or just as inherently healthy.
Cocaine, arsenic, and uranium are all natural too.
This is the same as when people say 'I won't eat/drink/use that because it's full of chemicals!'
My response to people who say "its full of chemicals" is
Water is made of chemicals too. Are you gonna stop drinking water now?
Post by
asakawa
Yeah, the naturalistic fallacy. The product in question might be great but the fact that they're focusing on the fallacy suggests to me that the ones making the recommendation are either lying or ignorant, neither of which strengthens the recommendation.
I realise, now, that this could be taken as referring to El's recommendation of cocoa earlier. That was absolutely not my intention. I'd moved on, in my own mind to nefarious "snake oil" salesmen but I clearly failed to make the distinction clear in text. I would never say (nor think) that about El whose statement was factual and my criticism tangential. I'm shocked at my own ignorance and inability to get my true opinions out of my brain without offending someone I respect.
Post by
Hyperspacerebel
Love it when I get to work from home.
So much more screen space!
Post by
Monday
Yo dawg, we heard you like monitors...
Post by
Rystrave
Love it when I get to work from home.
So much more screen space!
Very nice! I have two screens at work, though they are much smaller and not as pretty as my ones at home.
Post by
Gone
My
blowgun
finally got here. Woe to the next bird that wakes me up outside my window.
No, jk. I'm not going to kill any birds. But if I wanted to... I could.
Seriously though, this thing is powerful. Sends darts like a quarter inch into wood from 30 feet. Not bad for 15$
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