Snack on dark chocolate to prevent
heart disease and diabetes
Fancy eating chocolates every day? You may soon have the
recommendation of doctors to indulge a little as researchers have found that a dark
chocolate bar daily could reduces the risk of developing diabetes and heart
diseases. For the study, the researchers analysed data of 1,153 people
aged 18-69 years old who were part of the Observation of Cardiovascular Risk in
Luxembourg study. It was found that those who ate 100 g of chocolate a day —
equivalent to a bar — had reduced insulin resistance and improved liver
enzymes. Insulin sensitivity is a well-established risk factor to
cardiovascular disease. The findings were published in the BritishJournal of
Nutrition.
The analysis took into account lifestyle and dietary
factors, including the simultaneous consumption of tea and coffee. This is
because both drinks can be high in polyphenol, the substance which may provide
chocolate with its beneficial cardiometabolic effects. ‘Given the growing body
of evidence, including our own study, cocoa-based products may represent an
additional dietary recommendation to improve cardio-metabolic health; however,
observational results need to be supported by robust trial evidence,’ said
Saverio Stranges, visiting academic at the University of Warwick Medical School
in England.
‘Potential applications of this knowledge include
recommendations by healthcare professionals to encourage individuals to consume
a wide range of phytochemical-rich foods, which can include dark chocolate in
moderate amounts,’ Stranges said. However, it is important to differentiate
between the natural product cocoa and the processed product chocolate, which is
an energy-dense food. Therefore, physical activity, diet and other lifestyle
factors must be carefully balanced to avoid detrimental weight gain over time,
the researchers warned.
Source: www.healthsite.com
30.04.2016
Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another,
listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another
Alfred Adler
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