|
Chocolate bar shown to lower cholesterol
April 22, 2008The results of a University of Illinois study have demonstrated an effective way to lower cholesterol levels - by eating chocolate bars.
"Eating two CocoaVia dark chocolate bars a day not only lowered cholesterol, it had the unexpected effect of also lowering systolic blood pressure," said John Erdman, a U. of I. professor of food science and human nutrition.
The study, funded in part by Mars Inc., the company that makes the bars, was published in this month's Journal of Nutrition.
Erdman attributes the drop in cholesterol numbers (total cholesterol by 2 percent and LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 5.3 percent) to the plant sterols that have been added to the bar and the drop in blood pressure to the flavanols found in dark chocolate.
Erdman says that some people will assume the study is flawed because of Mars' funding role.
"I know that it was a double-blinded trial that wasn't skewed toward a particular result," said Erdman, who chairs the Mars Scientific Advisory Council. "Moreover, the paper was peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Nutrition, which ranks in the top 10 percent of all the biological science journals." Mars has spent millions of dollars studying the biological impact of the flavanols found in cocoa beans and learning how to retain their benefits during the refining process, Erdman said.
Forty-nine persons with slightly elevated cholesterol and normal blood pressure were recruited for the study. Those chosen for the double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study began the American Heart Association's "Eating Plan for Healthy Americans" (formerly the Step 1 diet) two weeks before the study started; then they were divided into two matched groups. Two types of CocoaVia bars were then introduced, one with plant sterols and one without.
While remaining on the AHA diet, participants ate one CocoaVia formulation twice daily for four weeks, then switched to the other bar for an additional four weeks. Blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body weight, and other cardiovascular measures were tracked throughout the eight-week study.
"After the participants started the AHA diet, a lot of them began to lose weight, so we had to keep fussing at them to eat more. We didn't want a weight change because that also lowers cholesterol," said Ellen Evans, a U. of I. professor of kinesiology and community health and co-author of the study.
"After starting the CocoaVia bars, we saw a marked differential effect on blood cholesterol, with the sterol-containing products doing better than those without sterols," she said.
A CocoaVia bar contains 100 calories.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Erdman attributes the drop in cholesterol numbers (total cholesterol by 2 percent and LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 5.3 percent) to the plant sterols that have been added to the bar and the drop in blood pressure to the flavanols found in dark chocolate.
Erdman says that some people will assume the study is flawed because of Mars' funding role.
"I know that it was a double-blinded trial that wasn't skewed toward a particular result," said Erdman, who chairs the Mars Scientific Advisory Council. "Moreover, the paper was peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Nutrition, which ranks in the top 10 percent of all the biological science journals." Mars has spent millions of dollars studying the biological impact of the flavanols found in cocoa beans and learning how to retain their benefits during the refining process, Erdman said.
Forty-nine persons with slightly elevated cholesterol and normal blood pressure were recruited for the study. Those chosen for the double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study began the American Heart Association's "Eating Plan for Healthy Americans" (formerly the Step 1 diet) two weeks before the study started; then they were divided into two matched groups. Two types of CocoaVia bars were then introduced, one with plant sterols and one without.
While remaining on the AHA diet, participants ate one CocoaVia formulation twice daily for four weeks, then switched to the other bar for an additional four weeks. Blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body weight, and other cardiovascular measures were tracked throughout the eight-week study.
"After the participants started the AHA diet, a lot of them began to lose weight, so we had to keep fussing at them to eat more. We didn't want a weight change because that also lowers cholesterol," said Ellen Evans, a U. of I. professor of kinesiology and community health and co-author of the study.
"After starting the CocoaVia bars, we saw a marked differential effect on blood cholesterol, with the sterol-containing products doing better than those without sterols," she said.
A CocoaVia bar contains 100 calories.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chocolate News and Current Chocolate Events RSSThe benefits of green tea in reducing an important risk factor for heart disease
More evidence for the beneficial effect of green tea on risk factors for heart disease has emerged in a new study reported in the latest issue of European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Post-exercise caffeine helps muscles refuel
Recipe to recover more quickly from exercise: Finish workout, eat pasta, and wash down with five or six cups of strong coffee.
Kids connect alcohol odors with mom's emotions
How children respond to the smell of alcoholic beverages is related to their mothers' reasons for drinking, according to a new study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Study indicates grape seed extract may reduce cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease
A compound found in grape seed extract reduces plaque formation and resulting cognitive impairment in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease, new research shows. The study appears in the June 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Poor sleep linked to suicidal behavior among children and adolescents with depressive episodes
A research abstract that will be presented on Thursday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), finds a link between poor sleep and suicidal behavior among children and adolescents with depressive episodes.
REM sleep associated with overweight in children and adolescents
Short sleep time is associated with overweight in children and adolescents, a core aspect of which may be attributed to reduced REM sleep, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Thursday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
Young children in mostly Caucasian countries obtain more sleep than those in Asian countries
Young children in predominantly Caucasian countries obtain more overall sleep, have earlier bedtimes, and are less likely to room-share than young children in predominantly Asian countries.
Primary snoring in children impacts cardiovascular functioning
Primary snoring in children may have an impact on cardiovascular functioning equivalent to that of moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a research abstract that will be presented Wednesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
Sleep problems linked to obesity, lower quality of life in school-aged children
A research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), finds an increased prevalence of sleep problems among school-aged children who are obese and an association between increased weight and lower quality of life.
Children with Down Syndrome sleep poorly and have more fragmented sleep
Children with Down Syndrome sleep poorly, with more fragmented sleep and frequent awakenings compared to typically developing children, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
More Chocolate News Articles
 | Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight by Peter J. D'Adamo |
 | The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko |
 | Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel by David Guterson |
 | The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom |
 | The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy |
 | The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown |
 | The Girl with No Shadow (published in the UK as The Lollipop Shoes) by Joanne Harris |
 | She's Come Undone (Oprah's Book Club) by Wally Lamb |
 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl |
 | Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 10) by Denise Swanson |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |