OT: Chocolate Good for the Heart and Brain

Hi Everybody

Here is a birthday present from Medscape News for everyone - at least everyone like me

The link is -

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/748 ... ws&spon=26

and the large print version is below -

Chocolate Good for the Heart and Brain

by Michael O'Riordan

August 29, 2011 (Paris, France) — In a city renowned for its love of food, it is only fitting that researchers presented the results of a new study in Paris, France, showing that chocolate is good for the heart and brain. In a presentation at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2011 Congress, British investigators are reporting that individuals who ate the most chocolate had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with individuals who ate the least amount of chocolate.

In the study, published online August 29, 2011 in BMJ to coincide with the ESC presentation, Dr Adriana Buitrago-Lopez (University of Cambridge, UK) and colleagues state: "Although overconsumption can have harmful effects, the existing studies generally agree on a potential beneficial association of chocolate consumption with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Our findings confirm this, and we found that higher levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one-third reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease."

In this meta-analysis of six cohort studies and one cross-sectional study, overall chocolate consumption was reported, with investigators not differentiating between dark, milk, or white chocolate. Chocolate in any form was included, such as chocolate bars, chocolate drinks, and chocolate snacks, such as confectionary, biscuits, desserts, and nutritional supplements. Chocolate consumption was reported differently in the trials but ranged from never to more than once per day. Most patients included in the trials were white, although one study included Hispanic and African Americans and one study included Asian patients.

Of the seven studies, five trials reported a significant inverse association between chocolate intake and cardiometabolic disorders. For example, individual studies showed reductions in the risk of coronary heart disease (odds ratio 0.43; 95% CI 0.27–0.68), the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.50; 95% CI 0.32–0.78), and the risk of incident diabetes in men (hazard ratio 0.65; 95% CI 0.43–0.97).

Overall, the pooled meta-analysis results showed that high levels of chocolate consumption compared with the lowest levels of chocolate consumption reduced the risk of any cardiovascular disease 37% (RR 0.63; 0.44–0.90) and stroke 29% (RR 0.71; 0.52–0.98). There was no association between chocolate consumption and the risk of heart failure, and no association on the incidence of diabetes in women.

The researchers note that the findings corroborate the results of previous meta-analyses of experimental and observational studies in different populations showing a similar relationship between chocolate and cocoa consumption and cardiometabolic disorders.

"These favorable effects seem mainly mediated by the high content of polyphenols present in cocoa products and are probably accrued through the increasing bioavailability of nitric oxide, which subsequently might lead to improvements in endothelial function, reductions in platelet function, and additional beneficial effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance, and blood lipids," conclude Buitrago-Lopez and colleagues.

References

1. Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L, et al. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2011; DOI:10.1136/bmj.d4488. Available at: http://www.bmj.com.

Heartwire © 2011 Medscape, LLC

Now if only they can find some health benefits in potato chips and custard pies

cheers

Mars

Whoopieeee
A 3pm Monday thru Friday, I treat self to a piece of chocolate candy. I was SERIOUSLY feeling guilty, well NO MORE!
When I get back to work on Tuesday, I will say to self, "In the name of a healthy heart, look out tummy here comes a piece of chocolate!" Yay!!!

Starlette

Every day, when I can, I treat myself to 8 ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips. mmmmmmm.
40 calories of pure heaven.

Now that's the kind of news I can get into. Now if Hershey will pull out of Mexico, back to the U.S.A. so I could buy their products again with a good feelings. If you will remember I vote with my billfold.... Jim

Rather bummed now, didn't know they were in Mexico

Starlette wrote:Rather bummed now, didn't know they were in Mexico

That's the way they all want it, go for cheap labor and subquality product, forget about the people who have been buying your product. They count on us not knowing or caring, that doesn't work with me. Even by going to Mexico, they keep downsizing their products and still raise the price, a fair profit isn't good enough for American Corps. Jim

When I can, I buy U.S.A. product made here.

mars, that's one of the best OT topics I've ever seen here!!

Soooooo glad you found that and posted it!

Much as I love chocolate - I eat a piece every day - I don't think this study mean anything -- at least not what we can read of it here.

Suppose you have type II diabetes, and indicators of hear disease: what does your doctor tell you to stop eating?

Suppose, on the other hand, you are are very healthy, not type II diabetes, no indicators of heart disease - does your doctor care a fig about how much chocolate you eat?

The reported research says nothing about causality.

Let me tell you, my chocolate loving brethren and sistren, I have it on good authority the among school children in grades 1 through 5 there's a very strong association between knowledge of mathematics and shoe size.

Do you think a first grader will know more math if he wears a fifth grader's shoes?

This public service announcement was given by your chocolate loving friend, who unfortunately can't shut up when research results are misinterpreted in newspapers and therefore rains on her friends' parades....

You may believe whatever you wish of course, but this is by far not the first report I've seen about chocolate being good for you, for your heart. I think if you Google 'chocolate and cardiac status' or something like that, you'll get lots of other hits - this report may just be the latest, most definitive, largest documented group, etc.

All things in moderation, I have Type 2 Diabetes, and Heart By-pass, still need my chocolate fix. You must have what makes life worth living, there's a big difference in the size of the lists, of what I am supposed to do, and really do. Jim

ozij wrote:This public service announcement was given by your chocolate loving friend, who unfortunately can't shut up when research results are misinterpreted in newspapers and therefore rains on her friends' parades....

wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

ok. Then I'll just keep on eatin' chocolate because ... well, just 'cause I like it.

My shoe size has gotten bigger as I've gotten older. My math skill (more like non-skill) hasn't improved one bit.

Suppose you have type II diabetes, and indicators of hear disease: what does your doctor tell you to stop eating?

Ahh, but there are ways to have your chocolate and eat it too, without spiking your insulin:
Cocoa powder is low carb and can be sweetened with artificial sweeteners or Stevia.
A high cacao chocolate bar (organic and fair trade) is low carb-one or two squares are immensely satisfying, more so if melted into you favorite nt butter--YUM!!!
I've been adding cacao nibs (organic and fair trade) into smoothies and low carb pancakes for favor, crunch, and fiber.

I do it not because it's a miracle food but because I LOVE it--health benefits are an added bonus!

My recipe for heart healthy, not diabetic friendly chocolate candy. I made some yesterday, and while the gkids said it was 'strong', it didn't stop them from eating it. Melt in your mouth good!


Homemade Chocolate
________________________________________
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• dash of salt

Melt oil, if needed. Combine all ingredients in blender and mix well. Pour into molds, about 1 tablespoon each. An ice cube tray works well. Place in the fridge or freezer. Sets up in about 10-15 minutes.

* edited to add not diabetic friendly.

My recipe for heart healthy, diabetic friendly chocolate candy.

Be sure to check your blood sugar after eating this. Agave syrup can cause BS spikes for some. You can substitute stevia (I do NOT like stevia) or other sweeteners if you do them.

Yes, do be careful if you are diabetic to check you BS. I think it's better than sugar, but some people may have a reaction to agave. I haven't tried stevia, yet, but may do so since it is such a small batch and if I have to throw it away it won't hurt much.