Dr. Avnish Jolly :A small square of dark chocolate daily protects the heart from inflammation and subsequent heart disease, a new study of Italians suggests. Milk chocolate might not do the job. Researchers have found that a dietary supplement containing isoflavone – chemical found in soybeans, chickpeas, legumes and clovers – can boost artery function in stroke patients. Indian spice turmeric or curcumin, which is such an essential part of the daily diet in the country, may also have some other medicinal benefits besides promoting wound healing. Researchers have revealed turmeric was able to reduce the size of the blood clot in haemorrhagic stroke that was induced in animal models.
These are the findings of three different studies, a prototype package and finished dark chocolate is shown atop cacao beans at the new TCHO chocolate factory in San Francisco, Calif., August 25, 2008. Specifically, only 6.7 grams of chocolate per day (or 0.23 ounces) represents the ideal amount, according to results from the Moli-sani Project, one of the largest health studies ever conducted in Europe. For comparison, a standard-sized Hershey’s kiss is about 4.5 grams (though they are not made of dark chocolate) and one Hershey’s dark chocolate bar is about 41 grams (so a recommendation might be one of those weekly).
Chronic inflammation of tissues in the circulatory system is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction or stroke. So doctors strive to keep patients’ inflammation under control. One marker for inflammation in the blood is called C-reactive protein. 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). The findings are detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
"We started from the hypothesis that high amounts of antioxidants contained in the cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other kinds of polyphenols, might have beneficial effects on the inflammatory state," said Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study. "Our results have been absolutely encouraging: People having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced." The inflammation reduction that the researchers observed controlled for other confounding variables such as wine or produce intake.
Previous studies have found that chocolate might be good for you, though doctors usually warn that it is more important to focus on one’s overall diet when it comes to health. One health study found that blood platelets among chocolate-lovers were less likely to clot together in dangerous clumps. Other studies have found a host of diet and exercise changes that can help a person beat the odds of death. Clearly, no single change is a guarantee of long life.
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. The milk in milk chocolate interferes with polyphenols, so the team kept that out of the study.
"We consider this outcome as the beginning of a large series of data which will give us an innovative view on how [to achieve] prevention in everyday life, both against cardiovascular disease and tumors," said Licia Iacoviello, head of the Laboratory of Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology at the Catholic University of Campobasso and responsible for the Moli-sani Project.
In other study s published online in Europe”s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, isoflavone – chemical found in soybeans, it is said to be the first randomised controlled trial to find out the effects of isoflavone supplement on the way the brachial artery (the main artery in the arm) dilates in response to an increase in blood flow, a phenomenon known as flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in patients with established cardiovascular disease.
Brachial FMD is an indicator of the functioning of the cells that line the inner surfaces of blood vessels (vascular endothelium), and endothelial dysfunction is implicated in cardiovascular disease. Professor Hung-Fat Tse, William MW Mong Professor in Cardiology and Academic Chief of the Cardiology Division in the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong and his team found that 12 weeks of isoflavone supplement, at a dose of 80 mg a day, significantly improved brachial FMD and, therefore, vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients who had suffered an ischaemic stroke (a stroke caused by blood clots or other obstructions) and these findings may have important implications for the use of isoflavone for secondary prevention in patients with cardiovascular disease, on top of conventional treatments.
The trial was a double blind, placebo-controlled trial, involving 50 patients taking the isoflavone supplement, and 52 taking a placebo pill. Researchers found that 80 per cent of the patients had an impaired FMD of less than 3.7 percent at the beginning of the study, but after 12 weeks of isoflavone or placebo, there was an improvement of one per cent in the isoflavone-treated patients compared with the controls. Also, the prevalence of impaired FMD after 12 weeks became significantly lower in isoflavone-treated patients than in the controls. There was also a greater effect in patients with more severe endothelial dysfunction.
Tse said that although the absolute increase in brachial diameter – one per cent – is small, the relative increase actually amounted to about 50 percent because the mean average FMD in these stroke patients was about two per cent. In fact, in patients with severe endothelial dysfunction, there might not be dilatation of brachial diameter at all and the patients who had a lower initial FMD were found, in general, to respond with a larger absolute increase in FMD after receiving 12 weeks of isoflavone intervention, compared to patients who had a better baseline FMD in the first place.
"These findings suggest that isoflavone reverses endothelial dysfunction in this group of patients with cardiovascular disease. This has important clinical implications, as the benefit of the treatment is conferred to the group of patients with the highest risks for cardiovascular events, and this effect persists, even at this rather late stage of the cardiovascular continuum," Tse added.
Turmeric was able to reduce the size of the blood clot in haemorrhagic stroke according to researchers at the U.S. based Medical College of Georgia, used lab animals for this study. They induced haemorrhagic stroke in the animals and then injected a mixture of turmeric powder and corn oil into the abdomen of the animals. According to the American Stroke Association, some 17 percent of all strokes are haemorrhagic in nature. People with high blood pressure are usually at risk for such strokes.
These injections were given once every hour for three hours. The researchers report curcumin significantly decreases the size of a blood clot. Lead researcher Krishnan Dhandapani, neuroscientist at the MCG School of Medicine, said turmeric could prove to be a boon for people who do not know they have had strokes. Intracerebral hemorrhages are bleeding in the brain that are caused by ruptured vessels. Such strokes usually cause other symptoms like headache and nausea. The usual treatment is invasive surgery to remove these clots. However it is often too late and the size of the clot will have worsened most of the symptoms and thus adversely affects surgical outcomes.
Intracerebral hemorrhages are bleeding in the brain that are caused by ruptured vessels. Such strokes usually cause other symptoms like headache and nausea. The usual treatment is invasive surgery to remove these clots. However it is often too late and the size of the clot will have worsened most of the symptoms and thus adversely affects surgical outcomes.
Second-year medical student Jay McCracken, who worked with Dr Krishnan in this study, said the researchers are yet to find why turmeric was successful in reducing the size of blood clots. He theorized that it may be because curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance.
Turmeric is an Indian spice that is added to almost all items in the cuisine here. Previous studies have indicated it may be able to reduce the risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. If the above study is borne out in clinical trials, then turmeric may also exert benefits in stroke patients.
Second-year medical student Jay McCracken, who worked with Dr Krishnan in this study, said the researchers are yet to find why turmeric was successful in reducing the size of blood clots. He theorized that it may be because curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance.
Turmeric is an Indian spice that is added to almost all items in the cuisine here. Previous studies have indicated it may be able to reduce the risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. If the above study is borne out in clinical trials, then turmeric may also exert benefits in stroke patients