Chocolate News and Research

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Flavan-3-ols, SoyLife can improve biomarkers of CVD risk in postmenopausal type 2 diabetic patients

A new, one-year, double-blind controlled clinical study shows that cacao-flavonoids and soy isoflavones can significantly improve biomarkers of CVD risk in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

5 May 2012

Tobacco packaging targets young people and women

Young people and women are identified as target groups to aim tobacco packaging at according to a new Cancer Research UK report released on Thursday.

26 Apr 2012

Dark chocolate good for the heart: Study

A new study finds that dark chocolate may lower the risk of heart disease by lowering levels of blood glucose and bad cholesterol while boosting levels of good cholesterol.

25 Apr 2012

Researchers develop new method to analyze flavanols in cocoa

A method for the analysis of flavanols in cocoa has been developed by a team of researchers from Mars Botanical, a scientific division of Mars, Incorporated, and recently published in the Journal of AOAC International.

25 Apr 2012

Dark chocolate may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Chocolate, considered by some to be the "food of the gods," has been part of the human diet for at least 4,000 years; its origin thought to be in the region surrounding the Amazon basin. Introduced to the Western world by Christopher Columbus after his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, chocolate is now enjoyed worldwide. Researchers estimate that the typical American consumes over 10 pounds of chocolate annually, with those living on the west coast eating the most. Wouldn't it be great if only chocolate were considered healthy?

25 Apr 2012

Cancer therapy with common cold virus

Common viruses have become the latest weapon against cancer. There is the case of the eight-year-old African boy diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma at a Ugandan health clinic. He was exposed to the measles virus and in the next few weeks his tumour regressed completely and he entered remission. But only relatively recently have scientists clinically examined the interaction between viruses and cancers in the growing area of oncolytic virotherapy.

24 Apr 2012

Cruciferous vegetables protect and improve breast cellular health

Broccoli, cabbage, leafy greens, cauliflower-your mother insisted they were good for you while you defiantly pushed them around your plate. Perhaps you didn't believe they were all that good for you. If they're so great, why don't they taste better? Turns out your mother was right. These cruciferous vegetables have a profound influence on the health of your body's cells. In fact, a recent study by Vanderbilt University's Ingram Center showed that a diet full of cruciferous vegetables protects and improves breast cellular health.

19 Apr 2012

Loyola dietitian offers health tips for Easter

Life-size chocolate bunnies, baskets overflowing with jelly beans and buffets filled with lavish delicacies. Easter gives us hope that consistent warm weather days are just around the corner. But it can also be a time of temptation, with large white bunnies leaving baskets full of candy around the house.

6 Apr 2012

WHO drafts treaty to fight illicit tobacco trade; WTO demands Obama administration drop ban on flavored cigarettes

"Nations have crafted a draft treaty to fight a booming trade in illicit tobacco products that's costing governments as much as $50 billion a year in lost tax revenue, officials said Wednesday," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.

6 Apr 2012

Brand of egg truffles recalled due to labelling error

The recall is for five batches of Heritage-brand Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg with chocolate truffles in a 270-gram package, sold exclusively through Coles supermarkets. The product contains almond, hazelnut and gluten, but these ingredients are not listed on the package due to a labeling error.

5 Apr 2012

Chocolate for weight loss: Study

The US survey of a population of more than 1000 adults, published as a research letter in the Archives on Internal Medicine, reinforces the idea that chocolate packs heart healthy benefits, despite its high calorie and sugar content. For the study the participants reported eating chocolate an average of twice a week and exercising an average of 3.6 times a week. Their average age was 57.

27 Mar 2012

Regular chocolate intake might reduce fat deposition per calorie

Katherine Hepburn famously said of her slim physique: "What you see before you is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." New evidence suggests she may have been right.

27 Mar 2012

Raisins may help lower blood pressure

If you have slightly higher than normal blood pressure - known as prehypertension - consider eating a handful of raisins. New data suggest that, among individuals with mild increases in blood pressure, the routine consumption of raisins (three times a day) may significantly lower blood pressure, especially when compared to eating other common snacks, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session.

26 Mar 2012

Unique clinic gives new lease of life – solves a family mystery

Isobel Dickinson, 62, of Wadsley, Sheffield, suffers from gluten ataxia – a neurological condition that can affect balance, co-ordination and speech. Until her diagnosis six years ago, little did she know that her difficulty balancing was being caused by sensitivity to gluten.

26 Mar 2012

Reducing children's sugary beverage intake may help manage obesity

Sugary drinks are the single biggest contributor to the obesity epidemic in the United States, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, two-thirds of adults and one-third of the children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Registered dietician Leah Holbrook, Coordinator of the Long Island Center for Pediatric Obesity Prevention in the Department of Family Medicine at Stony Brook School of Medicine, says that these sobering statistics and the fact that beverages account for nearly half of the added sugars in our diet are a wakeup call for Americans to reduce their sugary drink intake.

21 Mar 2012

Epicatechin-enriched cocoa shows promise against heart failure, Type 2 diabetes

A small clinical trial led by researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) found that patients with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes showed improved mitochondrial structure after three months of treatment with epicatechin-enriched cocoa. Epicatechin is a flavonoid found in dark chocolate.

3 Mar 2012

Novel way to promote vegetable consumption in children

Pass the peas please! How often do we hear our children say this? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey of adolescents, only 21% of our children eat the recommended 5 or more fruits and vegetables per day. So not very many children are asking their parents to "pass the peas," and parents are resorting to other methods to get their children to eat their vegetables.

2 Mar 2012

Breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may cause wakefulness and irritability in the baby

Babies are not able to metabolize or excrete caffeine very well, so a breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may lead to caffeine accumulation and symptoms such as wakefulness and irritability, according to an interview with expert Ruth Lawrence, MD, published in Journal of Caffeine Research, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

22 Feb 2012

Mars Inc. pledges to limit candy bars to 250 calories

Mars Inc., the makers of popular candy brands including Snickers, M&M's and Twix, have said that they would stop making chocolate products that exceed 250 calories by the end of next year. The privately-held company also makes Milky Way, 3Musketeers, Bounty, Skittles candies, Juicy Fruit chewing gum and Kudos bars.

18 Feb 2012