The Antioxidant Potential Of Car- Diovascular Disease ( Wan Et Al

It is thought that acai’s phytochemicals can stop the process of carcinogenesis on a molecular level, killing off tumorous cells before they multiply,

Research has proved that humans have been consuming cocoa for over 2600 years from once upon a time being used as currency to becoming serious pirate loot to being the key ingredient along with sugar in producing chocolate today.

In 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a health claim which states that consuming foods containing plant sterol and stanol esters along with other low cholesterol and saturated fat foods can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (Jones, Vanstone, Raeini-Sarjaz, & St-Onge, 2003). Today, many functional foods in the form of margarines, spread, yogurt, and others, have been enriched with phytosterols and advocated as being able to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Phytosterols have been known for its cholesterol-lowering effect by blocking absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. However, there are controversies surrounding the efficacy of phytosetrol that are enriched in foods in reducing cholesterol levels. Many studies have also demonstrated the efficacy of phytosterol-enriched foods. Vásquez-Trespalacios and Romero-Palacio (2014) and Amundsen, Ose, Nenseter, and Ntanios (2002) have demonstrated the efficacy of phytosterol-enriched foods in reducing total and LDL-cholesterol levels. However, there are also many studies that show otherwise. For example, Jones et al. (2003) and Weingärtner et al. (2016) have shown that phytosterol-supplemented foods did not have any effect on total and LDL-cholesterol levels. The debate regarding the efficacy of phytosterol in functional foods is crucial as phytosterol-enriched foods can potentially be a solution to a continuous increase in population suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The

Acai berries contain anthocyanins, antioxidants which balance cholesterol levels in the body. Furthermore, the fruit is rich in sterols with cardioprotective effects, such as improved blood composition and circulation, and blood vessel relaxation.

In this study, one group of male rats were given water sweetened with HFCS in addition to their standard diet and another group of male rats received water sweetened with table sugar with their standard diet for a period of 6 months. The proportion of HFCS used in the study was half the amount of the sugar used. The study “monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats”. The male rats that had HFCS in their diet gained about 48 percent more weight (characteristic of obesity). They also had substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides (i.e. a “fatty liver”). "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and

Raisio, a Finnish grain and chemical company, is the proud owner of a product that has been deemed one of the ten most important nutritional innovations in the world (“Benecol®,” 2010). This product is a unique compound composed of plant stanol esters and has been scientifically proven to help lower cholesterol levels in humans. With the prevalence of high cholesterol in the world population and the incidence of mortality associated with a high cholesterol level, it is no wonder that Raisio had a deep desire to share

The participants were middle aged and overweight. The researchers were primarily studying insulin sensitivity but they also looked at glucose and insulin profiles, cytokines, lipid profile, body composition, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, and carotid intima-media thickness. The olive leaf extract group had a statistically significant improvement in insulin sensitivity and responsiveness of the pancreatic β-cell. Interestingly, the olive leaf extract supplementation improved some inflammatory markers, but not others, and made no difference to the patients lipid profile, blood pressure, body composition (their body fatness), carotid intima-media thickness (a risk predictor of cardiovascular disease), or liver function

Anti-Inflammatory Effect – The Beta carotene present in pumpkin seeds and flesh has antioxidant and

can better and create positive effects in the body. And of course, Vita Coco is a perfect

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic phytoalexin that mainly found in grapes, peanuts, berries and cocoa [1, 2], and it can benefit in anti-fungal attack, UV protection and recovery of physical damage [3-5]. Recently, researchers have considered resveratrol could potentially bring advantages to human health such as anti-inflammation, improved glucose tolerance, neuroprotection, anti-aging, prevention of obesity and diabetes, antioxidant and improved regulation of metabolism [6-16]. Although scientists have found health benefits from resveratrol, it is difficult to utilize resveratrol from natural in commercial pharmaceutical products, supplement and functional food, as the poor pharmacokinetic properties of resveratrol: low water solubility

Cocoa is very high in antioxidants. In fact, Cocoa has a greater gram per gram antioxidant level than fruit juice. One nine-year study in the journal Circulation Heart Failure found women who ate one to two servings of high-quality chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of developing heart failure than those who said no to the cocoa.1 And a second long-term study found that men who ate the most chocolate–about 1/3 of a cup of dark chocolate chips per week–had a 17 percent reduced risk of stroke compared to those who didn’t consume chocolate. 2 In order to receive the health benefit from cocoa you must consume at least seventy-four percent or high when eating chocolate. In other words more bitter the chocolate the better it is for you.

The chocolate quiz offered many interesting facts about chocolate. I was especially surprised to learn it took 400 cocoa beans to make one block of chocolate. Additionally, I thought chocolate contained more caffeine than the average 5 milligrams. I do not think advertisers and food manufacturers should refer to anything less than 28 milligrams of caffeine as caffeine free. I thought the number of women who craved chocolate would have been higher than 40%. Like most American males, I crave a grilled steak more than chocolate; however, after this lesson, I plan to consume more dark chocolate for its nutritional benefits. In the American diet, chocolate serves as the primary source of the essential mineral, copper, this is involved in bone metabolism. Additionally, chocolate is high in flavonoids, specifically a polyphenol, that reduces inflammation. Eating an ounce of chocolate a day resulted in a thirty-seven percent

Chocolate is a famous treat among many households in America and the rest of the world. This confection that has been around for ages started from the same processes that made the chocolate that is eaten today. It is often thought to be an unhealthy snack can also be beneficial to daily life. Although the choice of milk or dark can be overwhelming there are some pros and cons for each. Chocolate is a delicious treat that can be beneficial yet enjoyable to one’s health and lifestyle if it is used the right way.

In a 2000 edition of Science News Journal, Janet Raloff supports the benefits of chocolate with the findings of antioxidants within chocolate, “Chocolate and cocoa powders are derived from beans that contain healthy quantities of antioxidants called flavonoids which have cardiovascular benefits” (188). She continued to state that these flavonoids are more powerful in chocolate than in vitamins, some teas, or wines. Dark chocolate can also help decrease the amount of blood clots in the heart due to the amount of antioxidants, which delay or prevent cell damage. In the December 1999 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vinson supported this in an earlier research supporting that “The

Chocolate and cocoa have very complex chemical properties and many components. Among the most researched components