THE BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE

The more scientists study about chocolate, the more wonderful chocolate seems. What are the adventages of chocolate aside from the feeling of satisfaction that only chocolate can bring? Here is a brief list of the advantages of chocolate.

1. Chocolate, according to new research, might provide a mental boost by elevating blood flow to the brain. The effect of this is that chocolate might be good for improving one's memory and attention and may be useful for speeding up reaction times.

2. Chocolate might be good for the skin. A German study founded that women who take chocolate cocoa every day for a period of three months had skin that was softer and moister, possibly as a result of improved blood circulation.

3. Chocolate can provide some level of protection against heart disease. Researchers have founded that dark chocolate consumption reduces hypertension and cholesterol levels, and adds more protection against blood clots.

4. Lastly, chocolate seems to make individuals feel better. For athletes, this might come in the form of improved recovery times after periods of exertion and for many women this might come in the form of an improved sexual experience (chocolate does seem to be an aphrodesiac in its own right). 

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HOW YOU COOK FISH MIGH EFFECT ON YOUR RISK OF STROKE

Fish looks to be synonymous with healthy consumption. However, how you cook fish might determine how much advantage you get from its consumption, and this might be particularly true for older people.

A study conducted by Dr. Daariush Mozaffarian found that elderly people who ate more tuna and other types of fish experienced a lower risk of stroke incidence.

However, the amount of stroke occurrence varied partly according to whether or not the fish was fried or not fried. People who consumped tuna and non-fried fish 1-4 times a week lowered their risk of stroke by 27%, while those who ate tuna and non-fried fish at least 5 times per week decreased their risk of stroke by 30%.

People who ate fried fish did not seem to gain any advantage from eating fish. Their risk of stroke was verily 44 percent higher if they ate fried fish more than 1 time per week. 

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CAN CONSUM OLIVE OIL REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER ?

Cancer rates are reportedly higher in areas of northern Europe if compared to southern Europe. And it’s in southern Europe wherever olive oil is an vital dietary component. Is there an association between lower rates of cancer and therefore the use of olive oil? A Danish group of researchers from the Copenhagen University Hospital conducted a study to research the matter. 

The danish study involved 182 guy between the ages of 20 and 60, originating from 5 separate European nations. Within the course of the study, researchers added more olive oil to their daily diet for a moment of two weeks. The goal was to measure any reasonable effect on the produced levels of a substance known as 8oxodG, that correlates with cellular harm as a result of oxidation. 

The result? At the end of the 2 weeks period, the research participants were found to have 13 percent less 8oxodG in their urine, suggesting the potential for reduced levels of DNA damage (DNA damage might lead to the development of cancer) as a result of using olive oil. 

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CAN TAKING TEA LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE AND DECREASE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE ?

According to the results of a German research, there might be something to this. The research found that drinking black tea had a significant effect on artery dilation. The power of arteries to dilate, or expand, is very important to the maintenance of simple blood pressure levels. 

How can the consumption of black tea defend against high blood pressure? The researchers founded that molecular substances in black tea known as catechins assist to expand arteries by producing nitric oxide.

Interestingly enough, several British tea drinkers might be unknowingly giving up the heart health benefits of tea. How is this case? The german research team founded that adding milk to tea, the habit of most british tea drinkers, introduces caseins (caseins are proteins found in milk) that block the power of catechins to dilate blood vessels. 

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CAN SPICY FOODS AND CAPSAICIN KILL CANCER CELLS ?

Acoording to a  report on the BBC News website, a Nottingham University research found that capsaicin, an ingredient that found in chili peppers has the power to trigger the death of cancer cells. Capsaicin does do this by attacking the mitochondria (Meaning mitochrondria can be thought of as cellular power plants) of cancer cells.

According to Dr. Timothy Bates, a single dose of capsaicin might force a cancer cell into apoptosis, or cell death. A capsaicin dose might do this without affecting the surrounding normal cells. 

Dr. Bates went on to speculate that capsaicin may potentially be used in a topical form for the treament of certain skin cancers .

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Does Green tea REALLY prevent certain types of cancers ?

Apparently a some scientists in Spain and Britain think this might be the case. Researchers in both countries have been able to show a specific compound found in green tea known as EGCG (which the AP article on green tea did not disclose what this acronym really stands for) has the power to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. 

EGCG looks to accomplish the remarkable feat of preventing cancer cell growth by inhibiting a special enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase and according to a Professor Roger Thorneley of the John Innes Center in Norwich "This’s the 1st time, to our knowledge, a known target for an anti-cancer drug has been identified as being inhibited by EGCG".

The great news for green tea afficionados, is that green tea contains about 5 times as much EGCG as regular tea. 

However, as Professor Thorneley states that, so far there has been no determination as to how much green tea a person would need to consume to obtain the beneficial effects provided by this compound.

But since he also goes on record to state that EGCG may be just one of several ingredients in green tea that have such properties, there's verily no reason to stop drinking green tea.

Unless you are a pregnant woman, that is. Women that are pregnant are given the advice that folic acid supplements may protect newborns against spina bifida. Apparently, green tea, if took in large amounts, might have the effect of decreasing folic acid's effectiveness. 

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TRANS FAT LEVELS IN MICROWAVE MEALS

A recent study found that, in men, increases in trans fat consumption crelated with waistline increases (the effect on women may be similar and it would be interesting to find research that substantiates this or not). To be clear, a wider waist is something that both genders would prefer to avoid, especially those with dieting goals. 

Fortunately, manufacturers of microwavable meals now provide a range of choices that are not only palatable (and in some cases, very tasty) and low in calories, but also designed with the trans fat issue in mind. For instant, microwave meals bearing the brand names Smart Ones (a weight watchers product), Lean Cuisine (a Stouffer's product line), and Healthy Choice are now available with zero trans fat levels. 

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