Search Results for: chocolate

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Sex, Chocolate and the Brain or Why Women Prefer Chocolate

chocolate

After satiation with chocolate the tasting of chocolate activates different brain areas in men and women.

In men, chocolate satiation was associated with increased taste activation in the ventral striatum, insula, and orbitofrontal and medial orbitofrontal cortex and with decreased taste activation in somatosensory areas. Women showed increased taste activation in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and putamen and decreased taste activation in the hypothalamus and amygdala.

In contrast to men in women the amygdala plays an important role after satiation with chocolate. The amygdala is known to respond to both aversive and pleasant taste stimuli. It was found that amygdala activation in women decreased after chocolate satiation. Having had enough chocolate results in a decrease of activation of the amygdala in women. In men there was no effect of satiation on amygdala activation.

In women in response to satiation the taste activation in the hypothalamus decreased. This could reflect the decrease in hunger, ie, the decreased motivation to eat chocolate.

The sex differences we found suggest that satiation might work differently in men and women similar to how men and women have different tastes for Sex toys. There is supportive evidence for this from other fields that suggests that women are more
affected than men by the hedonic value of food, men not so much, it has been proven that men are much more affected by the need of an increase girth.

Now why is this important?
These results suggest that the sexes differ in their response to satiation. Therefore, sex differences are a covariate of interest in studies of the brain’s responses to tasting food and the regulation of food intake, if anyone has ever learnt how to improve sexual stamina they know chocolate plays a big role.

These results are also supported by a study that explored the preferences for comfort food across age and gender:

Males preferred warm, hearty, meal-related comfort foods (such as steak, casseroles, and soup), while females instead preferred comfort foods that were more snack related (such as chocolate and ice cream). In addition, younger people preferred more snack-related comfort foods compared to those over 55 years of age. Associations with guilty feelings underscored how these different preferences between males and females may extend to areas of application.

In a review of chocolate craving it is indicated that the hedonic appeal of chocolate (fat, sugar, texture and aroma) is likely to be a predominant factor in chocolate craving. This could explain, together with the neuroanatomy data why women prefer chocolate.

Alas chocolate is not an antidepressant.

ResearchBlogging.org
B WANSINK, M CHENEY, N CHAN (2003). Exploring comfort food preferences across age and gender1 Physiology & Behavior, 79 (4-5), 739-747 DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9384(03)00203-8
Paul AM Smeets,, Cees de Graaf,, Annette Stafleu,, Matthias JP van Osch,, Rutger AJ Nievelstein,, Jeroen van der Grond (2006). Effect of satiety on brain activation during chocolate tasting in men and women American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Bruinsma, Kristen, Taren, Douglas L. (1999). Chocoalte: Food or Drug? Journal of the american dietetic association, 99 (10), 1249-1256 DOI: 10524390

 

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How Much Chocolate is good for your Health?

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“The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts the beneficial effect tends to disappear,” di Giuseppe said.

Romina di Giuseppe, is lead author of the study from the Moli-sani Project, one of the largest health studies ever conducted in Europe. The Moli-sani Project is funded by the Pfizer Foundation. The findings are detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

The interviews with the authors and short description of the research can be found at Livescience: Chocolate Helps Heart Stay Healthy. The researchers propose that chronic inflammation of tissues in the circulatory system is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A marker for inflammation in the blood is called C-reactive protein. The researchers found a relationship between dark chocolate intake and levels of this protein in the blood of 4,849 subjects in good health and free of risk factors (such as high cholesterol or blood pressure, and other parameters).

You can read about possible underlying mechanisms of cardioprotective properties of chocolate in: How does chocolate protect the heart?

Their results are in accordance with a recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition: A Chocolate Bar a Day Keeps the Doctor Away but in contrast to another placebo controlled trial with dark chocolate in healthy subjects published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Short-Term Chocolate Effects on Health.

In healthy subject the benefit opf dark chocolate is a matter of debate. In Diabetes patients chocolate rich in flavanols reverses vascular dysfunction in diabetes type 2 diabetic patients between ages 50 and 80 years, highlighting therapeutic potentials in cardiovascular disease. Moreover, flavanol-containing chocolate was well tolerated. In: Cocoa Beneficial for Medicated Diabetic Patients

 

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Have Your Dark Chocolate with Green Tea

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate reduces risks of cardiovascular disease by means of lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as increasing flow mediated dilatation after acute and chronic intake. Acute black tea consumption increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Green tea reduced LDL cholesterol. Soy protein isolate but not other soy products also reduces LDL cholesterol, but this is hard to mix with the green tea and dark chocolate. So for reduction of the risk for cardiovascular disease green tea with dark chocolate seems the best option.

These are the results of a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials. The authors included

One hundred thirty-three trials were included. No randomized controlled trial studied effects on CVD morbidity or mortality. Significant heterogeneity confirmed differential effects between flavonoid subclasses and foods.

They wanted to examine the relative importance of the different flavonoid subclasses and flavonoid-rich foods. But data were limited, study samples were mostly small, duration was mostly short, mostly with chocolate and soy no dose-response effects, and lack of clinically relevant endpoints.

Flow mediated dilatation

Because endothelial dysfunction is an integral component of atherosclerosis, and because in vitro evidence suggests that at least some flavonoids exert their effects via the endothelium, endothelial function [measured as flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)], which is a predictor of cardiovascular events and which correlates with other CVD risk factors.

LDL cholesterol

high levels of LDL cholesterol can signal medical problems like cardiovascular disease, it is sometimes called “bad cholesterol” (as opposed to HDL, the “good cholesterol”).

ResearchBlogging.org
Lee Hooper, Paul A Kroon, Eric B Rimm, Jeffrey S Cohn, Ian Harvey, Kathryn A Le Cornu, Jonathan J Ryder, Wendy L Hall, and Aedín Cassidy (2008). Flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods, and cardiovascular risk: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials The American Journalof Clinical Nutrition, 88 (12), 38-50 DOI: 18614722

 

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How to protect and improve chocolate

“Sequencing the cocoa genome is a significant scientific step that will allow more directed breeding of cocoa plants and perhaps even enhance the quality of cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate,” privately held Mars said in a statement.

In order to protect the cocoa bean and improve survival from diseases such as pest due to a higher disease resistance, MARS and IBM join together in exploring the cocoa genome.

“Sequencing the genomes of agriculture crops is a critical step if we want to better understand and improve a crop,”

Thanks The Great Beyond

 

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How does Chocolate protect the Heart?


A number of studies have shown cardiovascular benefits of eating flavanol rich cocoa. In this post I will discuss the possible underlying mechanisms of these cardioprotective properties of chocolate as published in a recent review article: Flavanol-rich cocoa, a cardioprotective nutriceutical.

    • Cocoa flavanols as antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been implicated in atherogenesis. Or LDL, a form fat in your blood that plays an important role in harming especially your larger blood vessels can lead to hypertension, lack of oxygen supply to the heart with as complication a heart attack. You heart needs to be functioning without any complications since it is the main organ to distribute oxygen all over your body, if anyone ever suffers from a heart condition, they may need a Pure Canned Oxygen Supplement to keep their oxygen saturation high. Antioxidants such as flavanols in chocolate that prevent LDL from oxidizing may reduce atherosclerosis. Although the precise mechanism of flavanol’s antioxidant action has not been agreed upon, research findings do suggest that the consumption of cocoa flavanols in the diet can significantly improve the
      oxidative defense system.
    • Modulation of vascular function. Impaired arterial endothelial function or impaired function of the inner layer of blood vessels has been shown to be a significant early event in atherogenesis and has been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Other diseases such as stress, ischemia (short oxygen supply), atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, can disrupt endothelial function. As a result, a dysfunctional endothelium may lose its protective effects on the vascular system. CBD hard candy provide a essential vitamins for keep our heart healthy.The acute consumption of dark chocolate by healthy volunteers have shown the acute dilatation of muscular arteries and an increased arterial elasticity
    • Inhibition of platelets. Platelet aggregation or the forming of small blood cloths is the critical event occurring during the initiation of coronary thrombosis which can lead to cardial infarction. Several studies have provided strong support for the antiaggregatory effects of cocoa flavanols.
    • Antihypertensive effects. The results of 2 separate studies in healthy subjects and later in hypertensives have shown possible benefits of cocoa in blood pressure lowering.This also can be considered as cardioprotective since hypertension leads to an overload of the heart.
    • Anti-infammatory effect. Cocoa flavanols have also been shown to have potential anti-inflammatory activities that are relevant to cardiovascular health, don’t forget to check the curcumin health benefits. With inflammation, substances are formed which can produce adverse cardiovascular effects.

Now, Dr Shock will never let a change to promote chocolate consumption slip although lack of positive effects are also published on this blog in: Short-term Chocolate Effects on Health.

Moreover, it should also be noted that the evidence for any cardiovascular benefits of cocoa flavanols has been gathered predominantly from short-term and uncontrolled
studies. Therefore, additional research in well-designed, long-term human clinical studies using cocoa would be most helpful in assessing whether flavanol-rich cocoa
could be a potential candidate for the treatment, or possible prevention of cardiovascular disease. The beneficial effects of chocolate also need to be balanced against its high caloric and high fat contents.

ResearchBlogging.org
Mehrinfar, R., Frishman, W.H. (2008). Flavanol-Rich Cocoa. Cardiology in Review, 16(3), 109-115. DOI: 10.1097/CRD.0b013e31815d95e2

 

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Facts about Chocolate and Health

  • Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, similar to those found in green tea, and as polyphenols have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction but also diabetes

  • For cocoa, the terms that are used to describe the particular compounds of interest are flavanols. Flavanols are a subclass of flavonoids which are, in turn, a subclass of polyphenols

  • Cocoa is the non-fat component of cocoa liquor (finely ground cocoa beans) which is used in chocolate making or as cocoa powder (commonly 12 % fat) for cooking and drinks

  • Chocolate refers to the combination of cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, etc. into a solid food product

  • In Europe, 58 % of people ate milk chocolate, closely followed by dark chocolate (43 %)

  • Cocoa taken as a beverage is popular in Spain

  • There were two human trials with interventions using cocoa published in 2001, three in 2002, five in 2003, three in 2004, six in 2005 and five in 2006 (one so far in 2007). More often than not, the studies yield at least one positive and significant result

  • The research is predominantly focused on effects on the vascular system, however, there are other areas of research on man in vivo which are not so extensively investigated, such as those concerned with cognition, cancer and diabetes

  • The mechanism of action of cocoa polyphenols including clinical, pre-clinical and in vitro studies consistently show changes in biomarkers related to oxidative status and/or vascular function

  • High cocoa content dark chocolate tends to be richest in polyphenols, although each chocolate is different in polyphenol content

  • For future research:

    • Where possible, conduct randomised, controlled, cross-over, multi-dose trials

    • Use well-defined cocoa or chocolate

    • Use an appropriate control of no-polyphenol chocolate

    • Recruit volunteers with at least one non-optimal biomarker or disease risk factor

ResearchBlogging.org
Cooper, K.A., Donovan, J.L., Waterhouse, A.L., Williamson, G. (2008). Cocoa and health: a decade of research. British Journal of Nutrition, 99(01) DOI: 10.1017/S0007114507795296

 

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Short-term Chocolate Effects on Health


In a placebo controlled trial of 6 weeks duration the consumption of dark chocolate had no beneficial effects on neuropsychological (e.g. memory, concentration) or cardiovascular (e.g. blood pressure, lipid levels) health related variables.

At least not when your healthy, well educated and above 60 (see the limitations).

Chocolate and cocoa products may promote cardiovascular and neurocognitive health and provide cardioprotective effects:

  • chocolate and cocoa-related products have been shown to decrease or inhibit both LDL oxidation and platelet activation or function

  • to enhance serum lipid profiles

  • to lower blood pressure

  • to promote vascular relaxation or dilation

  • to inhibit free radicals

  • cocoa flavanols or procyanidins may possess immunoregulatory effects and may help to modulate immune responses

  • flavanol-rich cocoa can increase cerebral blood flow in healthy elderly subjects, as measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound

What they did was select a sample of healthy adults above 60 yers of age (see the figure above). And they were extremely healthy. They had to stop eating regular chocolate at least a week before the trial. They used flavanoid- and procyanidin-rich dark chocolate bars and artificial sweetened cocoa beverage, as well as low-polyphenol placebos of identical taste and appearance.

The findings from this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial failed to support the predicted beneficial effects of short-term (6 wk) consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa on any of the neuropsychological, hematologic, or physiologic variables included in the investigation. The null neuropsychological and mental energy findings were in contrast to past research involving laboratory animals and humans that has shown the beneficial neuronal, neurocognitive, and neuroprotective effects of herbal compounds that are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Well this as a shock to me, so let’s look at the limitations of this study.
Limitations:

  • They surely used a to short period for their results, 6 weeks of chocolate is nothing

  • The relatively high mean levels of education (>15 y) of subjects in this study may have negatively affected the results. Specifically, higher levels of education, as compared with lower levels, have been associated with greater cognitive reserve and enhanced neuropsychological test performances.

  • They used a sample of healthy participants whose mean baseline serum HDL- and VLDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and ultrasensitive CRP concentrations fell within the “normal” reference ranges. Thus, it is possible that participants’ baseline hematologic values were not elevated (or abnormal) to the degree necessary for the effects of short-term dark chocolate and cocoa to be observed

  • The sample size of the current trial may not have been of sufficient magnitude

  • The low quantity of dark chocolate and cocoa products consumed by participants in the present trial also may have contributed to the overall null findings

  • Since the participants were so healthy it is possible that participants from both treatment groups continued to consume a diversity of other fruit and vegetables containing antioxidants or phytochemicals (or both), which may have confounded the current results to some extent

So I welcome their suggestion for future research.

Also needed are longitudinal trials that involve the consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa over extended periods (ie, several months to ≥1 y) and that result in the consumption of larger quantities of such products, which will likely promote more potent antioxidant and phytochemical effects.

Moreover participants of all kinds of health status should be included.

Related posts on this blog.

ResearchBlogging.org
Crews, D.W. (2008). A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of the effects of dark chocolate and cocoa on variables associated with neuropsychological functioning and cardiovascular health: clinical findings from a sample of healthy, cognitively intact older adults.. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(4), 872-880.

 

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Chocolate and Diabetes, New Research

Scientists are to investigate whether eating chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease in women with diabetes.

Volunteers – postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes – will be asked to eat a bar of chocolate a day for a year.

Cocoa is rich in compounds called flavonoids, which are thought to benefit the heart.

The University of East Anglia is using a specially formulated form of chocolate which contains more flavonoids than usual. The scientists are testing the theory that adding flavonoids to the diet may give added protection against heart disease on top of that provided by prescription drugs.

Deaths due to heart disease among women increase rapidly after the menopause and having type 2 diabetes increases this risk by a further three-and-a-half times.

If the trial confirms the hypothesis then it could have a far-reaching impact on the advice given to at-risk women.

On BBC News and CNN

 

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A Chocolate Bar A Day Keeps the Doctor Away


Actually it is 2 chocolate bars a day. Dark chocolate containing flavanols and added plant sterols reduces serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as well as blood pressure.
Plant sterols are natural compounds found in foods such as vegetable oils, fruit, cereals and vegetables. They can lower the circulating cholesterol levels. The FDA has recognized that the consumption of plant sterols may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering the LDL cholesterol.

In a double-blind placebo controlled cross over study the first aim was to examine the effect of the regular consumption of a flavanol containing chocolate bar (CocoaVia) with added plant sterols on serum cholesterol levels in a free-living population. All participants were on a steady AHA diet and their body weight didn’t change during this trial. Serum total cholesterol level was reduced with 3% and LDL cholesterol with 4%.

Also regardless of plant sterols content the consumption of the chocolate bars reduced diastolic (8%) and systolic blood pressure (8%) due to the flavanols. The participants were all normotensive (didn’t have high blood pressure).
The trial didn’t use chocolate bars with low flavanols concentration thus it is possible that the lower blood pressure could be attributed to other factors.

Dark chocolate has the most flavonoids. This is the substance that improves blood flow and vascular function and diminishes clotting and reduce blood pressure. Alas some confectionery makers often take out the flavanols, stripping the chocolate of its main health-promoting properties because flavonols also makes the chocolate taste bitter.

Limitation:
Short study period (8 weeks) how will these measures hold on the long term?

ResearchBlogging.org
Allen, R.R. (2008). Daily consumption of a dark chocolate containing flavanols and added sterol ester affects cardiovascular risk factors in a normotensive population with elevated cholesterol. The Journal of Nutrition, 138(4), 725-731.

 

8 Facts about Toblerone Chocolate

When I was a kid flying was still for the happy few. It was surrounded with luxury excitement and “going places”. When someone from our family made a trip he or she would always return with a toblerone bar from the duty free shop of the airport.

Did you know that:

  • Toblerone is with us for 100 years this year

  • The recipe was never changed and is secret. It is a mix of almonds, nougat, honey and chocolate invented by Theodor Tobler in 1908 together with his nephew Emil Baumann

  • It is available in 122 countries

  • It is the last chocolate bar still produced in Switzerland, all other Swiss chocolate is made in the developing countries

  • The name is a conjunction of the last name of Theodor Tobler and the Italian for nougat: torrone.

  • 25% of all their chocolate bars are sold in duty free shops

  • The shape of the bars the triangle is inspired by the mountain Matterhorn. It is an unique design for chocolate bars, and patented. Some say they can see a bear in the logo of the matterhorn

  • Just before world war 2 and in the eighties of the previous century the factory almost went bankrupt

It is even used as a nickname for a moving operation of yahoo from London to Switzerland: operation Toblerone

Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), which had been threatening its European operations for the last year to shape up or they would be shipped out, has done just that: it is moving its European headquarters from London to Switzerland, with 70 of its top managers in the UK told to relocate or lose their jobs, reports FT. The move, nicknamed Operation Toblerone, was made for corporate tax reasons, the story says citing a source.

About the video found on YouTube:

this late 90s Toblerone ad was designed to run in the surreal style of some of the Beatles songs. Featuring the confectionary made from Triangular Almonds from Triangular Trees, and Triangular Honey from Triangular Bees! That’s a lot of Triangles!

Besides their dark chocolate no conflict of interest here.

Thanks NRC

 
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