Laboratory studies demonstrate powerful antioxidant effects from a group of cocoa bean compounds called flavonoids. The flavonoid “family†also includes such health-protective compounds as the resveratrol in grape juice and EGCG in green tea. When people consume chocolate and cocoa, the amount of antioxidants in their blood increases.
Studies also show that oxidation of LDL cholesterol, […]
A growing body of research suggests that certain compounds in chocolate can have a host of health benefits.
“We have heard how chocolate may be associated with a cardioprotective effect, and that it may lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol,” said Dr. Randall Zusman, director of Massachusetts General Hospital’s division of hypertension.
“From my perspective, it is […]
“Probiotics (pills containing bacteria) have resulted in complete elimination of eczema in 80 percent of the people we’ve treated,” says Dr. Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., a practicing physician and former member of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Pizzorno says he’s used probiotics to treat irritable bowel disease, acne and even […]
A pigmentation chemical that makes grape skins and wines red has been found to kill human leukemia and lymphoma cells cultured in a lab, according to research to be published May 4 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. However, the compound, a type of anthocyanidin common in plants, left healthy blood cells alone.
“Current treatments for […]
Polyphenolic compounds (meaning the presence of more than one phenol group per molecule), often referred to as polyphenols, are plant-derived polyhydroxylated (meaning has more than one hydroxyl (OH), or alcohol, group attached) phytochemicals. Polyphenols are divided into three classes and include tannins, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids.
Tannins are astringent (meaning a substance that contracts bodily tissues), bitter-tasting […]
New evidence has emerged showing that organic food does contain nutrients that deliver health benefits, contrary to the view put forward earlier this year by David Miliband, who said it was only a “lifestyle choiceâ€.
Scientists in Britain, France and Poland examined organic carrots, apples, peaches and potatoes and discovered that they have greater concentrations of […]
Research carried out at Cornell University shows that quercetin, which belongs to a class of water-soluble plant pigments called flavonoids is extremely successful in reducing sneezing and cooling inflamed tissues. Quercitin is known for its ability to block the release of histamines, Flavonoids and Vitamin C also work together to protect capillaries.
A diet rich in flavonols from foods such as onions, apples and berries may cut the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by about 25 per cent, scientists have told attendees at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
And the benefits may be even more pronounced amongst smokers, with a risk reduction of […]
Foods like dark chocolate, which contain plenty of cocoa, may potentially reduce high blood pressure by acting in a manner similar to many blood pressure-lowering drugs, according to an analysis of previous studies by German researchers.
Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne examined data of five cocoa studies and five tea studies and concluded that […]
Recently, a number of human studies have reported that a frequent consumption of nuts is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. In the Adventist Health Study, people who ate nuts one to four times per week had a 25 percent reduction in risk of heart disease while those who ate nuts five or […]