Dark chocolate 'may lower blood pressure'

There may be good news for people looking for an excuse to munch on a couple of squares of chocolate after a review showed the treat could reduce blood pressure.

 

An analysis of 20 studies showed that eating dark chocolate daily resulted in a slight reduction in blood pressure.

The Cochrane Group's report said chemicals in cocoa, chocolate's key ingredient, relaxed blood vessels.

However, there are healthier ways of lowering blood pressure.

The theory is that cocoa contains flavanols which produce a chemical in the body called nitric oxide. This 'relaxes' blood vessels making it easier for blood to pass through them, lowering the blood pressure.
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    The 100g of chocolate that had to be consumed daily in a number of the studies would also come with 500 calories - that's a quarter of a woman's recommended daily intake�

Victoria Taylor British Heart Foundation

However, studies have thrown up mixed results. The Cochrane analysis combined previous studies to see if there was really an effect.

There was a huge range in the amount of cocoa consumed, from 3g to 105g a day, by each participant. However, the overall picture was a small reduction in blood pressure.

A systolic blood pressure under 120mmHg (millimetres of mercury) is considered normal. Cocoa resulted in a 2-3mmHg reduction in blood pressure. However, the length of the trials was only two weeks so the longer term effects are unknown.

Lead researcher Karin Ried, from the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, said: "Although we don't yet have evidence for any sustained decrease in blood pressure, the small reduction we saw over the short term might complement other treatment options and might contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease."

High blood pressure is both common and deadly. It has been linked to 54% of strokes worldwide and 47% of cases of coronary heart disease.

However, chocolate packs plenty of fat and sugar as well as cocoa so is not the ideal way of lowering blood pressure.
Dark or milk?

There has also been a warning in the Lancet medical journal that dark chocolate may contain fewer flavanols than you might think. Dark chocolate contains a higher cocoa count than milk chocolate so should contain more flavanols, however, they can also be removed as they have a bitter taste.

Victoria Taylor, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "It's difficult to tell exactly what sort of quantities of flavanol-rich cocoa would be needed to observe a beneficial effect and the best way for people to obtain it.

"With most of the studies carried out over a short period of time it's also not possible to know for sure whether the benefits could be sustained in the long term. The 100g of chocolate that had to be consumed daily in a number of the studies would also come with 500 calories - that's a quarter of a woman's recommended daily intake.

"Beans, apricots, blackberries and apples also contain flavanols and, while containing lower amounts than in cocoa, they won't come with the unhealthy extras found in chocolate."

Source : bbc

Chocolate Reduce Heart Risk

Dark Chocolate Reduce Heart Risk

The very dark chocolate assists reduce the risk of heart disease, and even counteract the contradictory consequences of smoking by the occurrence of polyphenols, a substance that helps to advance blood flow in the arteries, according to a study published in the BBC digital.

An investigation by the University Hospital of Zurich displays that eating a couple of images" of sweets a day can avert the hardening and constricting of the arteries in smokers.

"This happens only with dark chocolate," he told the BBC Dr Myriam Posada, a investigator at the School of Nutrition at the University of Antioquia, Colombia. "In the white sweets are not present polyphenols, which are compounds that contain antioxidants and produce cardiovascular effects," he added.

The research, released in the journal 'Heart', contrasted the consequences of black sweets (containing 74 per hundred cocoa) sweets with white on the circulation of blood flow in the arteries of 20 male smokers. fuming sways the undertaking of endothelial units (lining the artery walls) and to platelets, which are engaged in forming body-fluid clots.

Before you take 40 grams of sweets, smokers were inquired to abstain for 24 hours of consuming other foods wealthy in antioxidants, such as onions, apple fruit, and cabbage and cocoa goods.

After 2 hours, ultrasound scans revealed that dark sweets significantly advanced the arterial circulation flow, and that the effect continued eight hours.

"What occurs is that the content of polyphony that have the sweets helps decreases the grade of body-fluid clotting, which improves body-fluid flow in arteries," said M. Posada.

The polyphony in sweets, states the researcher, have an significant effect on platelets. The study displayed, for the body-fluid trials of persons studied, very dark sweets was lessened by almost half the undertaking of platelets. "When the undertaking of platelets declines, there is less possibility of thrombosis, stroke or heart attack," he said.

Furthermore, grades of antioxidants in the blood are substantially expanded inside two hours of eating the sweets. in addition to, the content of polyphony having chocolate helps to decrease the grade of blood coagulation, which advances the blood flow in arteries.

White vs Dark Chocolate

White chocolate, however, had no effect on endothermic units or platelets or antioxidant grades. "The key is the high antioxidant content of living black sweets, containing more per gram than any other nourishment or drink rich in these substances, such as red wine or green tea," said Colombian investigator.

Although, professionals furthermore warned about the high grade of calories comprised in all kinds of sweets, which generally contain 500 calories per 100 grams and an overall mean of 30 per hundred fat.

"I advise my patients that if they have no heaviness troubles, have a cup of sweets every day as a good source of antioxidants," said nutritionist. "If the persevering has heaviness troubles or are diabetic, take cocoa with sweetener," he added.

Delicious But Worst Summer Foods

Hot Dogs:

As they are full of salt, these people zap drinking h2o through children' bodies-and upward children's chances of drying. Additionally, people mathematicians tend to be stocked fats, which is a aspect in creating heart disease, even tiny hearts. 

Pepperoni Pizza: 

A single cut delivers practically 3 hundred calories from fat, and your munchkin might prefer mere just a few a few moments. There's also gobs associated with saturated fats and dehydration-promoting sodium, about Seven-hundred mg for each piece.

Sports Drinks:

You may think those electrolyte-replacing -ades are exactly what kiddos requirement for enjoyable in the sunshine, however they really include high levels of sugars, that researchers have associated with considerable extra weight. A single study found that every additional serving regarding sweet drinks a day boosts the children's danger regarding being overweight up to 60%. 

Ice Pops: 

Like sporting activities beverages, they support bare calories from fat that will trigger putting on weight. So when relaxing as they may seem, they're actually filled up with glucose or perhaps large fructose corn syrup, synthetic flavors and also chemical fabric inorganic dyes. 

Ice Cream:

Depending on the brand name, any one-cup information associated with simple vanilla ice cream includes more than 400 calories from fat as well as Forty gr of glucose. That's a weighty load regarding itsy-bitsy bodies in order to be able for you to help make when they're not as mixed up in summer time. Additionally , it may have got up to Sixteen grms of saturated fats, a big issue since high-fat foods may leave youngsters minus the energy they have to play outside.

Potato Chips:

Not only can all of that sodium cause lack of fluids, nonetheless it also can fast kids to satisfy their own chip-spurred being thirsty having sweet beverages, states Manley. In addition, chips are usually high in fat. 

Cookies: 

Sure, they are the particular go-to nibbles with regard to wet summer nights, yet apart from being filled with fat as well as glucose, they're very easy you can eat plan whilst children perform on-line on-line games or view tv.

Sun tan cream: how much is safe?

 Now summer has finally arrived, should we slather on the sunscreen to protect against skin cancer, or expose ourselves to the sun�s rays to boost vitamin D levels?

Safety first: 'There is unfortunately no established level of sun exposure guaranteed to produce enough vitamin D without harming your skin'

Experts have linked over-conscientious use of sun creams with low levels of the �sunshine vitamin�, which is vital for strong bones and has additional health benefits. On the other hand, Cancer Research UK revealed last week that annual diagnoses of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, in middle-aged people have risen from 500 in the late Seventies to more than 2,000 today.

The NHS advises spending 10-15 minutes in the sun daily without sunscreen for a vitamin D boost, but some specialists recommend taking a vitamin D supplement rather than leaving off the sunscreen. Dr Stefanie Williams, a London dermatologist, explains: �How much vitamin D your skin produces depends on many factors, including its colour �pale skins synthesise vitamin D faster but also burn more easily. There is unfortunately no established level of sun exposure guaranteed to produce enough vitamin D without harming your skin.�

She advises a vitamin D supplement of 1000IU (0.025mg) daily for most people (official advice is for supplements to be taken only by those at risk of deficiency).

Dr Howard Murad, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, agrees that taking a supplement is better than relying on the sun. �Sunlight is not a surefire way to receive the 'right� amount of Vitamin D,� he says.


 Cancer Research UK recommends using a product with an SPF of at least 15 to protect against the UVB rays that cause sunburn. However, the SPF does not indicate whether a product protects against the UVA rays that cause skin ageing and are implicated in skin cancer. The best UVA protection is given by products that contain filters such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide, says Dr Williams.

�To get a good indication about a product�s UVA, you may want to check the manufacturer�s website. A good product would provide an SPF of 30-50 and a PPD (persistent pigment darkening) factor of at least 15.�

Some products contain added ingredients such as antioxidants, which are said to repair skin damage or prevent blemishes. Do they do any good?

�Antioxidants such as vitamin C or E can help to protect your skin,� says Dr Williams, �but they should never be a substitute for UV filters and behaving sensibly in the sun.�

Says Dr Murad: ''Good sunscreens should always include hydrators, anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants.�

No sunscreen, no matter how high its SPF, can provide 100 per cent protection, warns Jennifer Richards, a nurse skin specialist at The Mole Clinic in London. �It is crucial that you apply sunscreen generously and regularly. For an average person, this means about two teaspoonfuls for the head, arms and neck, and about two tablespoonfuls if you�re covering all areas left exposed by a swimming costume.�

Me? I�m getting a large hat and sitting in the shade.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/9434762/Sun-tan-cream-how-much-is-safe.html

Ancestral Health Symposium 2012

I recently returned from AHS12 and a little side trip to visit family. The conference was hosted at Harvard University through the Harvard Food Law Society. Many thanks to all the organizers who made it happen. By and large, it went smoothly.

The science as expected ranged from outstanding to mediocre, but I was really encouraged by the presence and enthusiastic participation of a number of quality researchers and clinicians. The basic concept of ancestral health is something almost anyone can get behind: many of our modern health problems are due to a mismatch between the modern environment and what our bodies "expect". The basic idea is really just common sense, but of course the devil is in the details when you start trying to figure out what exactly our bodies expect, and how best to give it to them. I think our perspective as a community is moving in the right direction.

Read more �

Blood Type Linked With Heart Disease Risk: Study

Not all blood types may be alike when it comes to heart disease risk.

Harvard researchers found certain blood types seem to be associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease than others. Specifically, people with type AB -- only about 7 percent of the U.S. population -- have a 23 percent increased risk of the condition, compared with type Os.

Meanwhile, people with type B blood had an 11 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease, and people with type A blood had a 5 percent higher risk compared with people with type O blood, according to the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology study.

The researchers noted that about 43 percent of people in the U.S have Type O blood.

"While people cannot change their blood type, our findings may help physicians better understand who is at risk for developing heart disease," study researcher Dr. Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a statement.

"It's good to know your blood type the same way you should know your cholesterol or blood pressure numbers," Qi added in the statement. "If you know you're at higher risk, you can reduce the risk by adopting a healthier lifestyle, such as eating right, exercising and not smoking."

The study included blood type analysis from nearly 100,000 people between ages 30 and 75, who participated in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, in which they were followed for at least 20 years.


The researchers said they have yet to understand the exact cause for this blood type-heart disease connection. But, they did say that past research has suggested a link between having A type blood and higher levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and a link between having AB type blood and inflammation.

Last year, a study presented at the conference of the American Heart Association suggested a link between blood type and stroke risk, too. That study showed that AB type blood in men and women, and B type blood in women, is linked with an increased risk of stroke, compared with people with O type blood, the Associated Press reported.

That study was conducted by researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital, and included health data from 90,000 people. 

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Top 5 Tourist Places in The World

1. The Walt Disney World Resort : The Walt Disney World Resort is the world�s most-visited entertainment resort. It is located in Lake Buana, Orlando, Florida. The resort was originally developed by Walt Disney in the 1960s to supplement Disneyland in California.

2. Trafalgar Square: Trafalgar Square in the heart of London, photographed in the evening in black and white. Its center is Nelson�s Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at it�s base. The name Trafalgar Square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars.

3. Niagara Falls : Niagara Falls is one of the most spectacular natural miracles of the North American continent. Niagara Falls is a waterfall assembly located on the border between northern state of New York and Ontario in Canada. Lake Erie is connected with Lake Ontario via the Niagara River with a difference of 58 m, the water being separated into two arms of the Island "Goat Island" (Goats Island).

4. Universal Studios Japan : Universal Studios Japan , located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks. The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it also contains selected attractions from Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. Most visitors are Japanese tourists and tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In 2005 Goldman Sachs became the largest shareholder in Universal Studios Japan.

5. Eiffel Tower : The actual Eiffel Tower may be the tallest building in France made up of enormous fretwork framework. The Eiffel tower is owned by the Town of Paris and is utilized like a milestone regarding visitors.