Health and chocolate

Chocolate reduces the chance of a heart attack

People who have survived a heart attack should eat chocolate twice a week to reduce the chance of recurrence, according to researchers.  A Swedish study has in fact shown that when heart patients eat chocolate regularly, they reduce the chance of a second heart attack by 70%.  Even those who eat chocolate only once a week reduce the chance of  recurrence by 50%.

Research shows:

Chocolate reduces the chance of a heart attack

Eating chocolate can increase the chances of surviving a heart attack considerably.  This is the conclusion reached in a study conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.  Patients who after suffering a heart attack eat chocolate twice a week, have three times less of a chance of dying from a fatal heart disease than patients who never eat chocolate, according to the researchers.  Smaller quantities apparently provide less protection, but are nonetheless better than complete abstinence from chocolate.  The researchers moreover pointed out that the positive effects were noted only with chocolate.  Other sweets apparently have no effect all in all.

Connection between cocoa products and low blood pressure

Previous research studies had shown that there is a strong link between cocoa products and lower blood pressure and improved blood circulation.  It has moreover also been shown that the use of chocolate by older men and post-menopausal women reduced the mortality-rate from heart-related diseases.

Recently, the Karolinska Institute showed for the first time that chocolate consumption also increases the chances of survival after a heart attack.  Because other sweets have no positive impact on health, the researchers suppose that the anti-oxidants in cocoa are responsible for the greater chances of survival for heart patients.

“Our research supports the growing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive components,” they point out.

Positive results

The positive results of the Swedish research study pertain to both men and women and were noted in all age categories.  A number of clinical tests must still be carried out to support the results of the study further, but the researchers added that moderate use of chocolate will do no harm.  Needless to say, due account is taken of the growing weight problem for many people.

Australian researchers concur

Eating dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure by 5% in patients who suffer from high blood pressure, while reducing the chance of a heart attack by 20% over five years, an Australian study has concluded.  The secret lies in the flavonoids contained in chocolate, which remove blood fats naturally, thereby improving blood circulation and lowering blood pressure.

The researchers are elated.  “This shows that you do not always need to take medicines to lower your blood pressure.  Food can help too,” says Karin Ried of Adelaide University.  The ten percent of patients who cannot tolerate medicines or for whom medication is of no help can also benefit from chocolate.

Frequent chocolate consumption could reduce CHD risk, US study

By Jane Byrne , 21-Sep-2010

Frequent chocolate consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men and women independent of traditional risk factors, according to a review of a national US based heart, lung and blood study.

The conclusions, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, come on the back of a body of research pointing to the positive impact of flavonoids in chocolate.

And the authors, including researchers based at the Harvard Medical School and the Boston University School of Medicine, argue that their findings are consistent with a recent study in the German Heart Journal which showed dark chocolate intake was associated with a 39 per cent lower risk of myocardial infarction and stroke combined.

Dark chocolate belongs to the flavonoid-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables, tea, and red wine, with epidemiologic evidence indicates that beneficial effects of these on CHD are partly mediated through the effects of their polyphenolic compounds.
The authors hold that while interventional studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of dark chocolate on blood pressure and endothelial function, there is, in fact, limited data available on the effects of total chocolate intake on CHD.

And they decided to analyse data taken from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study to evaluate this link.

Method
The scientists explained that, using a cross-sectional design, they studied 4,970 participants aged 25 to 93 years, whose chocolate intake had been assessed through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. “We used generalized estimating equations to estimate adjusted odds ratios,” said the authors.

Of the total study cohort, 2,258 participants were men while 2,712 were women. The average age was 52.0 years and CHD prevalence was 10.9 per cent, added the researchers.

Conclusions
The researchers found that there was evidence for an inverse association between frequency of chocolate consumption and prevalent CHD in crude and adjusted models.

In the fully adjusted model, consumption of chocolate more than five times a week was associated with 57 per cent lower prevalent CHD compared with subjects who did not consume chocolate.

“Exclusion of subjects with prevalent diabetes and those who were on a weight loss diet made the association stronger,” they added.

They said that similar associations were observed in subjects who were 60 years of age or younger and those above the age of 60. Furthermore, they said, similar associations were seen among smokers and non-smokers.

Study’s limitations
The researchers admit, however, that the cross-sectional design of their study limits their ability to draw casual inference. “In addition, misclassification and reporting bias are inherent to self-reported data on chocolate consumption and we were not able to differentiate dark from milk or lighter chocolate,” they stated.

But the authors also stress that the inability to distinguish the different types of chocolate might have led to an underestimation of the true association between cocoa/chocolate polyphenol consumption and CHD in the study.

And they argue that large sample size (most of whom were from population-based studies), the availability on multiple CHD risk factors, and the multi-centre nature of the study are the strengths of the study.

What does chocolate do for me ?

Like with any food, it is good to know how it affects your body.
Chocolate has many beneficial properties, but just like with red wine ……..
ALL THINGS IN MODERATION !

Polyphenol

These polyphenols are called flavonoids

Chocolate has twice the amount found in red wine and 3 times that found in green tea

They have an antioxidant property, which means that they neutralize “free radicals” that are in the atmosphere or the body from smoke, pollution and sunlight

Free radicals are small reactive molecules that cause damage to the cells in the body. They are cancer causing and are a main cause of aging, so that means that chocolate can aid in cancer prevention and is an anti-aging product !

They contribute to healthy cardiovascular function, as they reduce the blood’s ability to slot and stick to artery walls, thus reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Acts similarly to low dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood flow

Dark chocolate is higher in flavonoids than milk chocolate

Theobromine

It is a mild stimulant

Has been known to prevent coughs

Has a mild diuretic action (increase urine production)

This property is what makes chocolate toxic to animals like dogs, cats, parrots and horses.

Caffeine

Is a stimulant

Amount is very low, much less than in coffee, tea or cola.

Phenylethylamine

Is a mild anti depressant

It is called the “love chemical” as it mediates feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness and euphoria

Some cultures in the Caribbean use chocolate mixed with cane sugar as an aphrodisiac during wedding celebrations

If this concoction is taken in large amounts, it becomes a hallucinogen

Is a stimulant similar to your body’s own dopamine and adrenalin, which promotes increased blood flow and stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain.

Serotonin
Chocolate increases level of serotonin in the brain, which helps with depression and PMS symptoms.

Vitamins and Minerals
Contains amounts of magnesium (helps with PMS symptoms), calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese

Contains vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, C, E, and pantothenic acid

All these help in keeping blood pressure low, your blood flowing freely and your heart healthy.

Tryptophan
An essential amino acid which lessens anxiety by producing the neurotransmitter, serotonin

This in turn causes the body to release endorphins, which are the body’s natural opiates

Promotes relaxation

Reduces sensitivity to pain (pain reliever).

One of the natural opiates (endorphins) that are released is Anandamide, which acts like a cannabinoid to produce the “chocolate high”

When drugs are used to block the brain’s opiate receptors, the desire for chocolate (and other sweet foods) disappears, confirming chocolate’s addictive nature.

The 12 step chocoholics program … NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE !!!  (Terry Moore).

Cocoa Bean Husk

The outer part of the bean has properties that thwart mouth bacteria and tooth decay (it’s antibacterial!)

The extract may one day be added to mouthwash and tooth paste and put back into the chocolate product to make it better for our teeth.

Pregnancy
Babies born to mothers that eat chocolate daily were found to be more active and positively reactive (smiling and laughter).

They showed less fear of new situations than babies of non-chocolate eating mothers

This was found to be due to the relaxed, well being effect that chocolate promotes.

CHOCOLATE IS CONSIDERED A BIOACTIVE COMPOUND, AS IT PROMOTES ALERTNESS, LESSENS PAIN AND PROMOTES WELL BEING !

Chocolate is good for cardiovascular health

Having highlighted the anti- depressant and cardio-protective virtues of chocolate, this is a trial which reveals the mechanisms. The flavonoids in chocolate exert a relaxing effect on the arteries, and more particularly the epicatechin.

The large family of flavonoids

The effects of chocolate on cardiovascular health have been attributed to the flavonoids contained in cocoa. These substances constitute a very wide range of natural ingredients belonging to the polyphenol family. Their contribution to health was initially revealed by their presence in red wine with the famous tannins.

Relaxation of the vessels

In order to more precisely determine the mechanism by which cocoa influences cardiovascular health, researchers undertook a study consisting of asking healthy respondents to drink different types of cocoa-based drinks. These varied according to the nature of the flavonoids they contained.
It was observed that only a chocolate drink rich in epicatechin lead to a relaxation of the blood vessels.
In order to confirm this discovery, participants this time received either a placebo or a solution containing only the epicatechin derived from cocoa. The latter group alone showed a vascular response identical to that of people having consumed a drink rich in cocoa.

It was concluded that epicatechin is the flavonoid responsible for the cardiovascular benefits of cocoa.
It should be noted that, although this molecule is particularly abundant in cocoa, it is also found in fruits, vegetables, red wine and green tea.

14/02/2006
Dr Philippe Presles, adapted by C. De Kock, health journalist