Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. A LITTLE COCOA GOES A LONG WAY, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 622 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our …
Uplifting the Muddy Buddies on the back of the Rice Chex Cereal. This is a Healthy snack you will not regret making for your family to snack on!
heart attack
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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This Part 2 of my podcast looking at how heart attack symptoms in women can be different than in men. This is really crucially important.†
In Part 1 of this podcast, I discussed the mineral magnesium, the functions it performs in the body and the best forms to take. There are some studies looking at the role magnesium plays in lowering the risk of sudden cardiac death, heart attacks and fatal coronary heart disease in women. I want to continue talking about magnesium because it’s so crucial to heart health for both men and women.†
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the amount of magnesium women took in and the amount of magnesium in their blood and how this related to their risk for sudden cardiac death. The researchers start by saying that magnesium has antiarrhythmic properties. Arrhythmias impact the efficiency of the heart and can prevent the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.†
MAGNESIUM: THE HEART OF HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 420. Listen Now>>
This particular study looked at over 88,000 women who were free of heart disease in the 1980s. The researchers looked at how much magnesium these women were taking in and updated that information every two to four years. Over 26 years, there were 505 cases of sudden cardiac death or death from arrhythmias. They found that the relative risk of sudden cardiac death was much lower in women with the highest level of magnesium in their food. The researchers also checked their blood plasma and found that women with the highest level of magnesium in their blood saw a 77% relative risk reduction of having sudden cardiac death.†
Another nutrient we can look at is cocoa. Cocoa is different from chocolate. Cocoa can help reduce the risk of heart disease and having a heart attack, even in people who have already had a heart attack. This is important because the people who are most prone to experiencing heart attacks are those who have already had one. Researchers are finding that cocoa can help prevent that.†
THE SCIENCE BEHIND COCOA FOR OVERALL HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 249. Listen Now>>
A study in the Journal of Internal Medicine looked at 1,169 people who had a first heart attack. The researchers followed these people for eight years. They found that there is a linear relationship between cocoa and dying from a future heart attack. The more frequently they had cocoa, the less likely they were to die of a heart attack during an eight-year period. If people had cocoa once a month, it lowered the risk of dying from a future heart attack by 27% compared to people who didn’t have cocoa. If they had it once a week, they had a 44% reduced risk of dying from a future heart attack. If they had it twice a week or more, the researchers found that they had a 66% lower risk of dying from a future heart attack than people who didn’t have cocoa.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. continues his discussion on heart attacks in women. He delves into studies on magnesium and cocoa and explains how these nutrients play a role in heart health. Stay tuned for Part 3 of this episode, coming soon.†
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Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash Two new studies show that dark chocolate reduces stress and inflammation, while improving memory, immunity, and mood. Let’s get snackin’! Lee S. Berk, DrPH, associate dean of research affairs, School of Allied Health Professions and a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology …
by Nicole Crane, B.S., NTP Chocolate is one of nature’s most powerful superfoods. But it’s benefits can be reversed when milk, cholesterol from milk solids and enormous amounts of refined sugars are added (i.e. the chocolate we all know and love!). What is Cocoa? Cocoa …
A new study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City has determined that an extract of the cocoa plant may help to block damage to the nerve pathways seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the researchers, this means that cocoa extract might have the ability to prevent symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as memory loss and cognitive decline.
According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells (neurons), which results in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. Affecting more than a million Americans, this debilitating disease has scientists and researchers in over-drive to find a cure.
The major component of the cocoa plant studied, called lavado, is very high in polyphenols, antioxidants also found in food sources like fruits and vegetables. In the past, research has shown that a high-polyphenol diet could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The research team at Mount Sinai studied lavado along with natural and “dutched” extracts from the cocoa plant. They genetically engineered mice to simulate Alzheimer’s disease in humans, and found that lavado was the most effective in reducing the symptoms. Lavado worked against Alzheimer’s symptoms by limiting the formation of the specific molecules that disturb synaptic structures in the brain which are responsible for memory circuit function.
This study, according to the researchers, suggests that lavado cocoa extract may eventually be used to formulate effective drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, but further studies are needed to more clearly define exactly how the extract works in the brain. The researchers agreed that lavado cocoa extract would definitely be worth providing in dietary supplement form, as it may provide a “safe, inexpensive and easily accessible” way to relieve symptoms and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The research team’s findings have been published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease.
Chocolate in its natural form (without the additives) includes essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc, as well as the Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid. In addition, it has polyphenols similar to those found in wine that offer excellent antioxidant protection. These beneficial antioxidants increase circulation to the brain and heart, improving healthy blood flow. They also help to reduce the blood’s clotting function, potentially decreasing your risk of blood and cardiovascular related health issues. Together, these agents help improve various areas of health such as circulation, energy and mood. Flavonols appear to be the substances in cocoa that are responsible for boosting heart health and keeping blood pressure in the normal range. These substances appear to improve the bioavailability of nitric oxide from the cells that line the inner wall of blood vessels:
Cocoa may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal. The researchers suggest that long-term improvements in brain blood flow could impact cognitive behavior, offering future potential research into a healthy aging brain, increased memory and lowering risk for debilitating events. In a scientific study of healthy, older adults ages 59 to 83, Harvard medical scientists found that study participants who regularly drank a cocoa flavonol-rich beverage had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks. In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found both short and long-term benefits of cocoa flavonols for brain blood flow, offering future potential for the one in seven older Americans. Scientists speculate that maintaining an increased blood flow to the brain could slow this cognitive decline.
Source: Medical News Today