Regelmatig een beetje chocola tegen hartproblemen*
Uit een studie onder ruim twaalfhonderd vrouwen van 70 jaar en ouder, die 10 jaar lang gevolgd werden blijkt dat het regelmatig eten van donkere
chocola de kans op hartproblemen flink kan verminderen. Bijna de helft van de vrouwen nam nog niet een keer per week chocolade terwijl ruim de helft 1 tot 7 of meer keer per week een portie nam. (Een portie was
gemiddeld 30 gram pure chocolade) Vrouwen die dagelijks of wekelijks chocola aten hadden vergelijkbare resultaten en bleken
50% minder kans te hebben op hartproblemen, een ziekenhuisopname of het doodgaan hieraan en zelfs 60%
minder kans op ziekenhuisopname of doodgaan aan hartfalen. Het mooie is dat men slechts 1x per week een portie pure chocolade nodig heeft om
al de helft minder kans te hebben op hartproblemen zeiden de onderzoekers.
Regular chocolate consumption prevents heart disease in older women
Women over 70 are less likely to die or be hospitalized due to heart disease, according to a controlled 10-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Western Australia. To determine the link between chocolate consumption and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) events, the randomized study collected data from 1,216 women over the age of 70. The results have been published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine.
Of the subjects involved in the research, more than 47% had less than a serving of chocolate per week; about 36% consumed one to six servings per week; and the remaining 17% had more than seven
servings.
The group that consumed the most chocolate had the least incidence of heart-related death or hospitalization (42 incidents); the group that had six servings or fewer had 90 incidents of cardiovascular-related problems; and the group that rarely consumed chocolate had the highest rate of heart-related problems (158 incidents).
Although the subjects were divided into three groups, the groups that consumed chocolate weekly and daily, respectively, had similar overall results. This suggests that one serving per week could have significant
benefits.
The women involved in the study provided the researchers with estimates on their frequency of chocolate consumption. For the purposes of the study, a single serving was equivalent to the amount of cocoa found in one cup of hot raw cocoa.
Raw cocoa, which is the principal ingredient in raw chocolate, is rich in flavonoids. In recent prospective cohort studies flavonoids have been associated with a 50% lower risk of heart-related deaths. This 10-year study investigated this link more closely in a controlled
fashion.
(Maart 2011)
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