Dark chocolate dilates the coronaries

Penelitian acak tersamar berganda ini bertujuan untuk menilai efek antioksidan -yang banyak terkandung dalam dark chocolate (kandungan cocoa 70%)- terhadap pembuluh darah koroner dan agregasi trombosit.

 

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pelebaran diameter arteri koronaria 2 jam setelah pemberian dark chocolate, dan penurunan agregasi trombosit.

 

Disimpulkan bahwa dark chocolate dapat men-dilatasi arteri koronaria, memperbaiki vaskularisasi koroner, dan menurunkan agregasi trombosit 2 jam pasca konsumsi. Efek ini sejalan dengan penurunan stres oksidatif dan berkorelasi positif dengan kadar epicatechin.

 

Circulation. 2007;116:2376-2382. 20 November 2007 © 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.
Dark Chocolate Improves Coronary Vasomotion and Reduces Platelet Reactivity. Andreas J. Flammer, MD; Frank Hermann, MD; Isabella Sudano, MD, PhD; Lukas Spieker, MD; Matthias Hermann, MD; Karen A. Cooper, MSc, PhD; Mauro Serafini, PhD; Thomas F. Lüscher, MD; Frank Ruschitzka, MD; Georg Noll, MD; Roberto Corti, MD 

Background— Dark chocolate has potent antioxidant properties. Coronary atherosclerosis is promoted by impaired endothelial function and increased platelet activation. Traditional risk factors, high oxidative stress, and reduced antioxidant defenses play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, particularly in transplanted hearts. Thus, flavonoid-rich dark chocolate holds the potential to have a beneficial impact on graft atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results— We assessed the effect of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate compared with cocoa-free control chocolate on coronary vascular and platelet function in 22 heart transplant recipients in a double-blind, randomized study. Coronary vasomotion was assessed with quantitative coronary angiography and cold pressor testing before and 2 hours after ingestion of 40 g of dark (70% cocoa) chocolate or control chocolate, respectively. Two hours after ingestion of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, coronary artery diameter was increased significantly (from 2.36±0.51 to 2.51±0.59 mm, P<0.01), whereas it remained unchanged after control chocolate. Endothelium-dependent coronary vasomotion improved significantly after dark chocolate (4.5±11.4% versus –4.3±11.7% in the placebo group, P=0.01). Platelet adhesion decreased from 4.9±1.1% to 3.8±0.8% (P=0.04) in the dark chocolate group but remained unchanged in the control group.

Conclusions— Dark chocolate induces coronary vasodilation, improves coronary vascular function, and decreases platelet adhesion 2 hours after consumption. These immediate beneficial effects were paralleled by a significant reduction of serum oxidative stress and were positively correlated with changes in serum epicatechin concentration.

Zat aditif dalam makanan menyebabkan anak hiperaktif

Peneliti di Inggris melakukan penelitian tersamar berganda untuk menilai apakah bahan pewarna dan aditif dalam makanan mempengaruhi perilaku anak-anak. Subyek penelitian adalah 153 anak berusia 3 tahun dan 144 anak berusia 8-9 tahun. Diberikan minuman yang mengandung natrium benzoate dan bahan aditif atau placebo.

 

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa zat aditif meningkatkan bermakna skor global hyperactivity aggregate (GHA) pada anak berusia 3 tahun maupun anak berusia 8-9 tahun.

 

Kesimpulan: makanan yang mengandung zat pewarna atau natrium benzoate (atau keduanya) dapat mempengaruhi perilaku anak-anak.

 

The Lancet online 6 September 2007(doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61306-3) © 2007

Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial,

Donna McCann PhD, Angelina Barrett BSc, Alison Cooper MSc, Debbie Crumpler BSc, Lindy Dalen PhD, Kate Grimshaw MSc, Elizabeth Kitchin BSc, Kris Lok MSc, Lucy Porteous BSc, Emily Prince MSc, Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke PhD, Prof John O Warner MD and Prof Jim Stevenson PhD. Correspondence to Prof Jim Stevenson jsteven@soton.ac.uk.

 

Background

We undertook a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to test whether intake of artificial food colour and additives (AFCA) affected childhood behaviour.

Methods

153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. The challenge drink contained sodium benzoate and one of two AFCA mixes (A or B) or a placebo mix. The main outcome measure was a global hyperactivity aggregate (GHA), based on aggregated z-scores of observed behaviours and ratings by teachers and parents, plus, for 8/9-year-old children, a computerised test of attention. This clinical trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials (registration number ISRCTN74481308). Analysis was per protocol.

Findings

16 3-year-old children and 14 8/9-year-old children did not complete the study, for reasons unrelated to childhood behaviour. Mix A had a significantly adverse effect compared with placebo in GHA for all 3-year-old children (effect size 0·20 [95% CI 0·01–0·39], p=0·044) but not mix B versus placebo. This result persisted when analysis was restricted to 3-year-old children who consumed more than 85% of juice and had no missing data (0·32 [0·05–0·60], p=0·02). 8/9-year-old children showed a significantly adverse effect when given mix A (0·12 [0·02–0·23], p=0·023) or mix B (0·17 [0·07–0·28], p=0·001) when analysis was restricted to those children consuming at least 85% of drinks with no missing data.

Interpretation

Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.

Diet jaman batu baik untuk penderita gangguan toleransi glukosa

Penelitian diet untuk penderita diabetes selama ini terfokus pada asupan lemak, karbohidrat, dan serat.

Dalam penelitian ini, para ahli dari Swedia membandingkan diet Palaeolithic (diet jaman batu) terhadap diet Mediterranea -yang dianggap baik untuk penderita diabetes.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan setelah 12 minggu penurunan kadar gula darah pada kelompok diet P lebih besar dibanding diet M. Penurunan lingkar pinggang kelompok diet P juga lebih besar dibanding kelompok diet M.

Disimpulkan bahwa diet jaman batu lebih unggul dalam hal memperbaiki toleransi glukosa untuk penderita diabetes tipe 2 dan gangguan toleransi glukosa.

Diabetologia Volume 50, Number 9 / September, 2007 (10.1007/s00125-007-0716-y) © Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.
A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease,

S. Lindeberg , T. Jönsson, Y. Granfeldt, E. Borgstrand, J. Soffman, K. Sjöström and B. Ahrén.

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis Most studies of diet in glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes have focused on intakes of fat, carbohydrate, fibre, fruits and vegetables. Instead, we aimed to compare diets that were available during human evolution with more recently introduced ones.

Methods Twenty-nine patients with ischaemic heart disease plus either glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes were randomised to receive (1) a Palaeolithic ('Old Stone Age') diet (n=14), based on lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs and nuts; or (2) a Consensus (Mediterranean-like) diet (n=15), based on whole grains, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, fish, oils and margarines. Primary outcome variables were changes in weight, waist circumference and plasma glucose AUC (AUC Glucose_0–120) and plasma insulin AUC (AUC Insulin_0–120) in OGTTs.

Results Over 12 weeks, there was a 26% decrease of AUC Glucose_0–120 (p=0.0001) in the Palaeolithic group and a 7% decrease (p=0.08) in the Consensus group. The larger (p=0.001) improvement in the Palaeolithic group was independent (p=0.0008) of change in waist circumference (−5.6 cm in the Palaeolithic group, −2.9 cm in the Consensus group; p=0.03). In the study population as a whole, there was no relationship between change in AUC Glucose_0–120 and changes in weight (r=−0.06, p=0.9) or waist circumference (r=0.01, p=1.0). There was a tendency for a larger decrease of AUC Insulin_0–120 in the Palaeolithic group, but because of the strong association between change in AUC Insulin_0–120 and change in waist circumference (r=0.64, p=0.0003), this did not remain after multivariate analysis.

Conclusions/interpretation A Palaeolithic diet may improve glucose tolerance independently of decreased waist circumference.