Can Chocolate reduce the risk of heart disease in women?
Flavonoids compounds found abundant in chocolates are known to reduce the risk of heart disease. Scientists are conducting a study to investigate the effects of chocolate on women with diabetes. A chocolate bar packed with extra amount of flavonoids compounds has been developed by a British team.
Initially the test will be performed on 150 post menopausal women suffering with type 2 diabetes. Specially made chocolates will be given free of cost. The candidates would need to eat one bar every day for a period of 1 year. Finding 150 chocolate loving candidates meeting the required specification will not be a difficult task.
Further trials will be conducted if the first proves to be effective, and eventually on success chocolates could act as a medication for millions of patients with diabetics, heart problems.
So what’s wrong with the chocolates that are available in the local store?
High levels of antioxidants are found in Cocoa. Most of these compounds often get destroyed during the process of converting Cocoa into Chocolate.
For the trails the University of East Anglia has developed a special chocolate that retains higher levels of antioxidants (falconoid). Soy has also been added, to increase falconoid levels. Flavonoids help in improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure by boosting the production of nitric oxide in the blood vessels.
Post menopausal women with type 2 diabetes are preferred because after menopause the risk of heart diseases increases and the risk increase three times for women who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes, said“We certainly don’t advise people to start eating a lot of chocolate as it’s very high in sugar and fat.
We would always recommend that people with diabetes eat a diet low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
A successful outcome of this research would hopefully mean being able to offer people at high risk better protection over and above that provided by conventional drugs.”
For further details of the trial contact FLAVO@uea.ac.uk.
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