Pure chocolade tegen schade aan bloedvaten*
Uit een kleine Spaanse studie blijkt dat pure chocolade hoge bloeddruk in de lever, direct na het eten kan reduceren. Deze hoge bloeddruk, die ook optreedt in de onderbuik kan de bloedvaten beschadigen en zelfs doen scheuren. In de studie kregen 21 mensen met een levercirrose dagelijks een drankje met of pure chocolade (85% cacao) of witte chocola (bevat geen cacao), de hoeveelheid was 0,55 gram chocola per kilo lichaamsgewicht. Levercirrose geeft al een hogere bloeddruk in de lever en voor hen is die extra bloeddruk direct na het eten nog gevaarlijker. De mensen die de pure chocoladedrank gekregen hadden bleken duidelijk minder bloeddrukverhoging in de lever en onderbuik te hebben dan de witte chocola drinkers.
Dark
chocolate reduces damage to blood vessels of cirrhotic patients: Spanish
research
Doctors
could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering
from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen,
according to new research presented today at the International Liver CongressTM
2010, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in
Vienna, Austria.
According
to the Spanish research, eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood
vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver. Dark
chocolate contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal)
blood pressure in the liver (or portal hypertension) associated with damaged
liver blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction). The data also showed that eating
dark chocolate may exert additional beneficial effects throughout the whole
body. In comparison, white chocolate, which contains no beneficial 'phytochemicals',
did not result in the same effects.
Professor
Mark Thursz, MD FRCP, Vice Secretary of EASL and Professor of Hepatology, at
Imperial College London said: "As well as advanced technologies and high
science, it is important to explore the potential of alternative sources which
can contribute to the overall wellbeing of a patient. This study shows a clear
association between eating dark chocolate and portal hypertension and
demonstrates the potential importance of improvements in the management of
cirrhotic patients, to minimise the onset and impact of end stage liver disease
and its associated mortality risks".
Cirrhosis
is scarring of the liver as a result of long-term, continuous damage to the
liver . In cirrhosis, circulation in the liver is damaged by oxidative stress
and reduced antioxidant systems. After eating, blood pressure in the abdominal
veins usually increases due to increased blood flow to the liver.
This
is particularly dangerous and damaging to cirrhotic patients as they already
have increased blood pressure in the liver (portal hypertension) and elsewhere
which, if severe, can cause blood vessel rupture. Thus, eating dark chocolate
may ultimately prevent this potential threat to cirrhotic patients.
In
this study 21 cirrhotic patients with end stage liver disease (child score
6.9-1.8;MELD 11-4; hepatic venous pressure gradient (HPVG)16.6-3.8mmHg) were
randomised to receive a standard liquid meal. Ten patients received the liquid
meal containing dark chocolate (containing 85% cocoa, 0.55g of dark chocolate/Kg
of body weight) while 11 patients received the liquid meal containing white
chocolate which is devoid of cocoa flavonoids (anti-oxidant properties)
according to body weight. HVPG, arterial pressure and portal blood flow (PBF)
were measured at baseline and 30 minutes after meal administration, using a
US-Doppler.
Both
meals caused a highly significant but similar increase in portal blood flow with
a +24% increase in dark chocolate compared to +34% in those patients who
received white chocolate. Interestingly, post-prandial hyperaemia was
accompanied by an increase in HVPG resulting in a statistically significant
increase (17.3-3.6mmHg to 19.1-2.6mmHg,>
Source: European Association for the Study of the Liver (Juni 2010)
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