Eating chocolate daily linked to lower heart disease and stroke risk
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There may be no need to cut out chocolate to protect cardiovascular health, say researchers, after finding that eating up to 100g of chocolate every day is actually linked to reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
A large group of people in the UK (9,214 men and 11,737 women) were monitored for almost 12 years, during which time 3,013 (14%) people had either an episode of fatal or non-fatal coronary heart disease or stroke.
Around one in five (20%) participants said they did not eat any chocolate, but among the others, daily consumption averaged 7g, with some eating up to 100g. Higher levels of chocolate eating were associated with:
- Younger age;
- Lower weight, waist: hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, inflammatory proteins and diabetes;
- More regular exercise;
- Higher energy intake and a diet containing more fat and carbs and less protein and alcohol.
Compared with those who stayed off the sweet stuff, higher chocolate intake was linked to an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 25% lower risk of associated death and a 9% lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result of heart disease.
And the highest chocolate intake was associated with a 23% lower risk of stroke, even after taking account of other risk factors.
“Cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events,” the researchers say. “There does not appear to be any evidence to say that chocolate should be avoided in those who are concerned about cardiovascular risk.”
Interestingly, milk chocolate was more frequently eaten by the participants than dark chocolate, so the beneficial health effects may extend to this type of chocolate too.
Source, Jump Start Mind, Body & Soul: www.jumpstartonline.co.uk.
The groove affects your heart
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Repeated musical phrases can affect the heart rate, which may mean music could be used as a treatment for heart conditions, according to a study presented at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference.
Hearing a repeated 10 second rhythm found in various music compositions, particularly by Verdi, coincides exactly with changes in blood pressure that reduce the heart rate.
Experts played different music styles to people and analysed each person’s cardiovascular response, including blood pressure and pulse measurements. The responses to calming (Indian rajas), or exciting music (jazz or fast classical), were similar between individuals. These findings suggest that a music therapy to calm people could be relatively simple, ie music would not need to be tailored to the individual.
“Music is already being used commercially as a calming therapy but this has happened independent of controlled studies into its effectiveness,” explains Prof Peter Sleight who has researched into the area for over 20 years. “Our research has provided improved understanding as to how music, particularly certain rhythms, can affect your heart and blood vessels.”
Source, Jump Start Mind, Body & Soul: www.jumpstartonline.co.uk
The secret to a long life? Always look on the bright side…
Older adults who are happier with life are more likely to live longer, says new research published in Psychological Science. And variability in life satisfaction increases risk of death, but only in people who are generally less satisfied.
Every year for nine years, nearly 4,500 men and women aged over 50 years old responded to the question, “All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life?” Responses ranged from 0 to 10, with 10 indicating greater life satisfaction.
As life satisfaction increased, the risk of death reduced by 18%. But greater variability in life satisfaction was associated with a 20% increased risk of death. People with high levels of life satisfaction tended to have reduced risk of death regardless of how their life satisfaction varied over time. Other factors taking into account were age, gender, education, health conditions, smoking status, physical activity and depressive symptoms.
“Although life satisfaction is typically considered relatively consistent across time, it may change in response to life circumstances such as divorce or unemployment,” says Dr Julia Boehm who is involved in the study. “Some people may adapt more readily to new situations and thus appear to have relatively stable life satisfaction, and others may not adapt as quickly. If people repeatedly encounter distressing life events that diminish their life satisfaction, then fluctuations in lower levels of satisfaction seem to be particularly harmful for longevity.”
Source, Jump Start Mind, Body & Soul: www.jumpstartonline.co.uk.
New Zealand blackcurrants may keep the brain young
<> Image credit: Ilya
New Zealand blackcurrants help keep us mentally agile, says research in the Journal of Functional Foods, a finding that could have implications in managing the mental decline associated with ageing populations.
A total of 36 healthy adults aged 18–35 years had a 250ml drink before doing a set of difficult mental performance assessments. The drink was either a sugar and taste-matched placebo (no blackcurrant), an anthocyanin-enriched New Zealand blackcurrant extract (Delcyan) or a cold-pressed juice from the New Zealand blackcurrant cultivar “Blackadder”.
The assessments showed that after consuming the Delcyan and Blackadder drinks, attention and mood were improved and mental fatigue was reduced. Blood tests showed that the activity of the monoamine oxidase enzymes (MAO) was strongly decreased after consuming the Blackadder juice. This regulates serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the brain, chemicals known to affect mood and cognition.
“This study is the first to look at the effects of berry consumption on the cognitive performance of healthy young adults,” says Dr Arjan Scheepens, who led the study. “Our previous research has suggested that compounds found in certain berry fruit may act like monoamine oxidase inhibitors, similar to a class of pharmaceuticals commonly used in the treatment of both mood disorders and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. This research has shown that New Zealand-grown blackcurrants not only increase mental performance, but also reduce the activity of monoamine oxidases.”
Source, Jump Start Mind, Body & Soul: www.jumpstartonline.co.uk.
