Chocolate compound could hold key to dementia treatment
14 March 2007
 A compound found in chocolate - known as epicatechin - could hold the key to delaying the onset of dementia, after studies in Central America showed the benefits of consuming five cups of cocoa a day. Professor Norman Hollenberg, of Harvard Medical School, spent years studying the Kuna tribe and found that they rarely suffered from high blood pressure and have much lower rates of cancer, heart disease and strokes.When he looked at their diet, he saw that they all consumed around five cups of cocoa a day, providing a high intake of epicatechin. Following further tests, Professor Hollenberg said that he believed the chemical could prove as important to medicine as penicillin or anaesthesia for illnesses including dementia.According to his report in the International Journal of Medical Sciences, researchers believe the compound works by relaxing blood vessels and improving circulation - a key benefit for dementia sufferers' brains.Though most of the naturally-occurring epicatechin is removed in the processing of cocoa beans, scientists claim that the compound could be extracted and produced separately in future, if testing proves to be effective.  © Adfero Ltd© 2008 Adfero Ltd. All rights reserved. Any views and opinions expressed in news articles are not those of Craegmoor Limited and its associated companies. News supplied by Adfero DirectNews.
Bookmark with:
What are these?
 Delicious
 Digg
 reddit
 Facebook
 StumbleUpon
Related stories
03/07/2009 Dementia 'should attract more attention for research'
Dementia research is so far behind that for other diseases such as cancer because it is believed to be less important, according to one expert.
02/07/2009 New chair alerts staff when patients get up
A new chair being trialed in London is delighting patients' relatives.
02/07/2009 Four pints a week increases hospital risk, research finds
New research has found that drinking four pints a week is enough to increase the risk of a person needing hospital and mental health treatment in their lifetime.
01/07/2009 Complicated pregnancy could increase risk of autism, suggests study
Complicated pregnancy could increase risk of autism, suggests study
01/07/2009 Preferred bidder announced for £100m mental health project.
An NHS service has said who it wants to take control of its £100 million mental health project.
|