Chocolate Can Increase Brain Blood Flow

Dark Chocolate high in flavanols similar to the bioflavaniods in fruits and expecially grapes can increase blood flow in the brain by increasing more Nitric Oxide.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Cocoa-flavanols-may-boost-blood-flow-in-the-brain/?c=rhc%2BPi6aUoG6qA7rB7r9AA%3D%3D

Source: Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
Volume 4, Pages 433-440
“Cerebral blood flow response to flavanol-rich cocoa in healthy elderly humans”
Authors: F.A. Sorond, L.A. Lipsitz, N.K. Hollenberg, N.D.L. Fisher

“We show that two weeks of regular Flavanol Rich Chocolate intake, providing 900 mg of cocoa flavanols daily, resulted in a significant increase in peak cerebral blood flow response in the middle cerebral artery.”

Grapes & Green Tea Protect from Alzheimer’s

An ingredient inside grapes, green tea & chocolate blocks the toxic amyloid beta that can build up in the brain causing Alzheimer’s. This study was done on mice but the mice took the same amount of polyphenolic compounds inside grapes that an average person can take per day.
An analysis of the grape seeds used showed the major active ingredients are catechin and epicatechin, which are also abundant in tea and cocoa.

Another antioxidant from grapes that has been in the news lately is resveratrol. Resveratrol seems to only be effective at protecting against Alzheimer’s at extremely high doses. Catechins in the extract product studied appear to be effective at practical doses.

The Journal of Neuroscience
June 18, 2008 • Volume 28 Number 25 www.jneurosci.org
p 6388
Grape-Derived Polyphenolics Prevent A Oligomerization and Attenuate CognitiveDeterioration in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s DiseaseJun Wang, Lap Ho, Wei Zhao, Kenjiro Ono, Clark Rosensweig, Linghong Chen,Nelson Humala, David B. Teplow, and Giulio M. Pasinetti

Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate: Which is Healthier

Dark Chocolate has many antioxidants, the antioxidants known as polyphenols and catechins.

The polyphenol families of procyanidins & epicatechins are strong antioxidants also found in many plants and vegetables including red grapes & wine. Proanthocyanidins play a role in the making of collagen & elastin and can lead to a stronger circulatory system. Proanthocyanidins are also shown to speed up recovery from plactic surgery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proanthocyanidin

Catechins, in particular epicatechin found in dark chocolate, can reduce the risk of four of the major health problems: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechins

Milk Chocolate has no antioxidant activity due to milk binding the antioxidants. To take advantage of the antioxidant activity of chocolate you need to have 70% cocoa solids and no milk.
http://www.med.umich.edu/UMIM/clinical/pyramid/chocolate.htm

 

Chocolate’s Secret Ingredient Can Strengthen your Cardio System

[http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/51/22/2141]
Researchers concentrated the antioxidant flavanols from Chocolate and gave them to Diabetics to see if the flavanols can strengthen their veins.

Functional chocolate not only tastes great but is healthy for your cardiovascular system.

“Conclusions: Diets rich in flavanols reverse vascular dysfunction in diabetes, highlighting therapeutic potentials in cardiovascular disease.”

“Sustained Benefits in Vascular Function Through Flavanol-Containing Coca in Medicated Diabetic Patients”
J Am Coll Cardiol, 2008; 51:2141-2149, doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.01.059
© 2008 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation