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Food

Chocolate - Cocoa

NEWS:

A piece of dark chocolate a day keeps the doctor away " 'This study provides enough evidence to suggest that low amounts of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate as an addition to a healthy diet caused progressive reductions of systolic and diastolic BP in older subjects with prehypertension without inducing weight gain or other adverse effects,' Taubert said."

Antioxidants in Cocoa May Be the Reason, Researchers Say "Cocoa contains antioxidants called polyphenols, which may be responsible for the study's results, note the researchers. The study doesn't prove cocoa was the sole reason for the men's increase in HDL cholesterol. The researchers stop short of recommending daily cocoa drinks for everyone. Tea, wine, fruit, and vegetables also contain polyphenols and may help heart health, note Kondo and colleagues."

Blood pressure up? Calm down with cocoa "Some may see a cup of tea as soothing, but chocolate is more likely to lower one’s blood pressure, German researchers reported Monday. Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure, but drinking green and black tea may not, according to an analysis of previously published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the American Medical Association. The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed cocoa products for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood pressure."

Chocolate Has Sweet Effect on Blood Flow " "Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake had acute effects in improving coronary function in healthy adults, as compared to non-flavonoid white chocolate, independent of changes in oxidative stress parameters, blood pressure and lipid profile," wrote the researchers from Chiba University. "

Chocolate Lovers May Be Hard-Wired That Way

Cocoa Compound Fights Cancer, Strokes, and Dementia

Cocoa nutrient for 'lethal ills' "Epicatechin, a type of flavonoid, is also found in teas, wine, chocolate and some fruit and vegetables.. One of its actions is thought to be through elevating levels of nitric oxide in the blood, which helps relax the blood vessels and improves blood flow. And its antioxidant properties could explain how it might stop cancers."

Dark chocolate good for blood vessels

Flavonoid-rich chocolate improves vasodilation, reduces platelet adhesion

Dark chocolate 'not so healthy'

Shedding Light on the Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Some cocoa improves blood flow in the brain "Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain compared with subjects who did not drink the cocoa, he said. This raises the prospect of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased blood flow in the brain, and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health, he said. … But the cocoa typically sold in markets is low in flavanols, which usually are removed because they impart a bitter taste, Hollenberg said. He also said the findings do not mean people should indulge in chocolate. … flavanols occur in other foods such as fruits, tea and wine that have been associated with dilation of the arteries."

Sweet Spot "But before chocolate lovers rejoice, a caveat: the study authors recommend limiting daily dark-chocolate consumption to a small size. … Researchers believe the drop can be attributed to cocoa polyphenols, a chemical compound abundant in dark chocolate that is not found in its milk or white counterparts."

Toxic Chocolate (rpt)

ARTICLES:

Cocoa Supplements

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

A diet rich in dietary fiber from cocoa improves lipid profile and reduces malondialdehyde in hypercholesterolemic rats. (Nutrition. 2007)

Acute effect of oral flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake on coronary circulation, as compared with non-flavonoid white chocolate, by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in healthy adults. (Int J Cardiol. 2007) "CONCLUSION: Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake significantly improved coronary circulation in healthy adults, independent of changes in oxidative stress parameters, blood pressure and lipid profile, whereas non-flavonoid white chocolate had no such effects."

Dark Chocolate Improves Coronary Vasomotion and Reduces Platelet Reactivity (Circulation 2007) "Conclusions—Dark chocolate induces coronary vasodilation, improves coronary vascular function, and decreases platelet adhesion 2 hours after consumption. These immediate beneficial effects were paralleled by a significant reduction of serum oxidative stress and were positively correlated with changes in serum epicatechin concentration."

Effect of Cocoa and Tea Intake on Blood Pressure (Arch Intern Med. 2007)

Effects of low habitual cocoa intake on blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide: a randomized controlled trial. (JAMA. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: Data in this relatively small sample of otherwise healthy individuals with above-optimal BP indicate that inclusion of small amounts of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate as part of a usual diet efficiently reduced BP and improved formation of vasodilative nitric oxide."

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