Saturday, July 5
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW GREEN CUISINE

4.29.2008 11:19 AM

Calling All Chocoholics

Researchers Need Your Ability to Eat the Sweet Stuff

e-mail
print
rss
widget
dark chocolate pieces
Photo: Istock

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

British scientists are looking for 150 women to take part in a study that will look at a natural compound found in cocoa and its ability to cut the risk of heart disease among women with diabetes.

The women in the study will have to eat one bar of chocolate every day for a year.

Before you get too excited, know that you don't get to choose the chocolate. The bars were made by a Belgian confectionist, and they contain high levels of a flavonoid called epicatechin — three times that of a high-end dark chocolate bar. The flavonoids have been shown to reduce heart risk factors. Soy has also been added to the bars, according to the Guardian.

Participants must be postmenopausal women under the age of 70 with type 2 diabetes who have been on cholesterol-lowering medication (statins) for at least a year.

Half the women in the study will randomly be assigned the flavonoid-rich bars, and the other half will get ordinary chocolate. They will have their risk of heart disease tested on five occasions during the year to see if any change occurs, according to the article.

No word on what treatment they will get to cope with withdrawal symptoms when the research is finished.


e-mail
print
rss
widget

LOG-IN TO POST A COMMENT

username:
password:

POST A COMMENT

User:
Subject:
Comment:

 characters left

ADVERTISEMENT

Easy Steps to a Greener, Healthier Diet
Find Out The Truth Behind Organic Food Labels
The Top 12 Foods You Should Eat Organic
5 Ways to Save on Organics
Search for a location:
Enter your city or zip code to get your local temperature and air quality and find local green food and recycling resources near you.

ADVERTISEMENT
Hearst Digital Media