Real Health Foods

A study led by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows that the antioxidants in cocoa are likely to increase chances of surviving acute myocardial infarction—a.k.a. heart attack. By eating chocolate two or more times per week, heart attack survivors cut their risk of dying from heart disease threefold compared to those who don’t eat chocolate.

Patients who had suffered a heart attack were questioned about their food habits in the year prior to hospitalization and then were monitored for eight years. Data indicated an inverse correlation between the incidence of fatal heart attacks and the amount of chocolate eaten.

Earlier research established a link between chocolate intake and lowered blood pressure, citing the ability of antioxidants to protect against free radicals that contribute to heart disease, cancer and the aging process.

New Angle on Belly Fat

Visceral fat, or belly fat, is the fat that surrounds internal organs around the waistline. Research from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago shows that a change in hormone balance causes an increase in visceral fat during menopause.

The researchers measured fat content in patients’ abdominal cavities with CT scans, and blood tests gauged hormone levels. Their findings revealed that the level of bioavailable testosterone—testosterone that is active in the body—may be the key predictor of visceral fat.

The study broadens the understanding of testosterone’s role in what’s known as metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors for heart disease. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women was long thought to be caused by the loss of the protective effect of estrogen. According to Imke Janssen, lead author of the study, “It is the change in the hormonal balance—specifically, the increase in active testosterone—that is predominantly responsible for visceral fat and for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net

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