Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

More and more studies are showing that chocolate eaten in moderation may have significant health benefits. Most recently, researchers have found that antioxidants in chocolate known as flavanols may improve mood. Contrary to previous research, however, there were no noted improvements in cognition.

Participants in the study included 72 healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 65. Over the course of three days, they consumed daily a 1 oz. dark chocolate drink mix dissolved in 7 oz. of water containing either 500 mg of cocoa flavanols, 250 mg of cocoa flavanols, or no cocoa flavanols.

At the conclusion of the study, the 500 mg group self-reported higher levels of calmness and contentedness when compared with the other two groups. They did not, however, have any changes in cognition.

Researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia conducted the study. It was published in the May 2013 issue of the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Chocolate isn’t just good for improving your mood. It has also been shown to improve heart health and insulin resistance, and reduce blood pressure. To get the full health benefits of chocolate, consume darker chocolates which contain more flavanols.

It’s important to keep in mind that excessive consumption of chocolate could negate the positive effects seen here and in other studies, as chocolate also has high fat, sugar, and calorie content. Your best bet is to eat small amounts of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages around the world, and is often the main dietary source of flavonoids and flavanols. A recent study suggests that drinking flavonol-rich tea and increasing flavanol intake from other sources may reduce the risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease mortality by up to 73%.

The researchers examined the flavonol intake of 1,063 women over the age of 75. They used the USDA Flavonoid, Flavone and Proanthocyanidin databases to assess their flavonoid intake. They focused on seven classes of flavonols: flavonols, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyandidins, flavones, flavanones, anthocyanidins, and isoflavones.

Women with the highest average intakes of flavanols were found to have a 73% lower risk of death from atherosclerotic vascular disease, compared to women with the lowest average intakes. Women with the highest intake of flavonols from tea had a 62% reduction in mortality risk and women with the highest intake of flavanols from non-tea sources had a 59% reduction.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on April 29, 2013 in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Previous studies have shown that the flavanols in tea may decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow.

Foods high in flavanols include citrus fruits, grapes, strawberries, tea, cooked greens and dark chocolate, all of which are can be easily incorporated into your daily diet.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Black tea is packed with flavonoids, a naturally occurring antioxidant. A recent study has shown for the first time that drinking three cups of black tea daily may lower blood pressure variability by approximately 10% at night.

Nocturnal blood pressure variation has been linked to cardiovascular disease.

The study included 111 participants with baseline systolic blood pressure between 115 and 150 mmHg. Over the course of six months, half of the group drank three cups of black tea a day while the other half drank a placebo beverage with the same amount of caffeine but no flavonoids.

Results were observed from the first day of the study, with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropping by around 10% at night. Those effects were observed over the entire course of the study.

The researchers theorized that the flavonoids found in black tea may improve arterial stiffness or could possibly improve sleep quality.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia, Finders University in Australia, Unilever Research and Development in the Netherlands, the Russian Cardiology Research Center, and BakerIDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia conducted the study. It was published in the May 2013 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Previous studies have shown that the flavonoids in black tea may decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow.
Foods high in flavonoids include citrus fruits, grapes, strawberries, tea, cooked greens and dark chocolate, all of which are can be easily incorporated into your daily diet.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study suggests that consuming a wide variety of plants that are high in flavonoids may reduce the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by as much as 25%. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants commonly found in fruits and vegetables.

The study included 920 African-American men and 977 Caucasian men, all of whom had diagnoses of prostate cancer. The participants completed self-reported dietary history questionnaires which the researchers used to determine how many flavonoids the men were consuming,

When they examined the data, the researchers found that the men who ate the most flavonoid-rich foods were 25% less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer. They also noted that no flavonoid appeared to be protective by itself, suggesting that a mix of foods is necessary to gain these results.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Arnold School of Public Health and was presented at the 2012 International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research held the week of October 16, 2012.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring antioxidants which have previously been shown to decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow.

Foods high in flavonoids include citrus fruits, grapes, strawberries, tea, cooked greens and dark chocolate, all of which are can be easily incorporated into your daily diet.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

More and more studies are showing that chocolate eaten in moderation may have significant health benefits. Most recently, researchers have found that antioxidants in chocolate known as flavanols may help improve mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can progress to dementia and eventually Alzheimer’s disease.

The study included 90 mature adults who had been diagnosed with MCI. Over the course of 8 weeks, the participants consumed one of three dairy-based cocoa flavanol drinks. The high flavanol group drank 990 milligrams, the intermediate group drank 520 mg, and the low group drank 45 mg. They were instructed to avoid any other foods and drinks with flavanols during the study period.

The researchers administered neuro-psychological tests to measure different types of brain functioning. They found that participants in the high and intermediate groups scored significantly higher for motor responses, task-switching, and verbal and working memory. They also had higher overall cognitive functioning.

Blood pressure and oxidative stress also decreased in the high and intermediate groups.

The research was conducted at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. It was published online ahead of print on August 14, 2012, in the journal Hypertension.

Chocolate isn’t just good for brain health. It has also been shown to improve heart health and insulin resistance, and reduce blood pressure. To get the full health benefits of chocolate, consume darker chocolates which contain more flavanols.

It’s important to keep in mind that excessive consumption of chocolate could negate the positive effects seen here and in other studies, as chocolate also has high fat, sugar, and calorie content. Your best bet is to eat small amounts of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

You may have noticed that eating a piece of chocolate can sometimes make you feel better physically. Recent research suggests that might not be all in your head: chocolate contains the flavanol epicatechin, which has been linked to lower blood pressure.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany and published online ahead of print on May 2, 2012, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Four meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were included in this study. The researchers found that higher doses of epicatechin resulted in the greatest reductions in systolic (top number in reading) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure. Particularly, they noted that 25 mg led to a 4.1 mm HG reduction in systolic and a 2.0 mm HG reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

A 2 mm HG reduction in diastolic blood pressure is associated with a 10% lower risk of stroke mortality and a 7% lower risk of ischemic heart disease mortality.

The researchers believe that epicatechin raises levels of nitric oxide, which has been known to help blood vessels relax and expand.

Chocolate isn’t just for heart health; it has also been shown to help brain health, improve insulin resistance, and reduce blood pressure. To get the health benefits of chocolate, focus on darker chocolates which contain more flavanols.

It’s important to keep in mind that excessive consumption of chocolate could negate the positive effects seen here and in other studies, as chocolate also has high fat, sugar, and calorie content. Your best bet is to eat small amounts of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

In addition to being delicious, berries are packed full of flavonoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A recent, long-reaching study suggests that these flavonoids could help slow age related cognitive decline in women.

The study was conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States. Their results were published online ahead of print on April 25, 2012, in Annals of Neurology.

The researchers examined data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which included more than 120,000 women. Starting in 1976, food frequency questionnaires were administered every 4 years.

The specific data set that the researchers worked with included 16,010 women who were over the age of 70. Between 1995 and 2001, the women participated in memory and cognitive functioning tests every 2 years.

The researchers found that higher consumption of strawberries and blueberries was associated with up to 2.5 years delay in the onset of cognitive decline.

While this is not the first study to examine the effects of berry consumption on cognitive decline, it is more long-reaching than any study conducted this far. The researchers noted that more needs to be done to determine if the flavonoids found in the berries caused these positive results or if other lifestyle factors, such as exercise, had more of an effect.

The flavonoids found in berries have previously been linked with weight management, reducing cholesterol and possibly preventing some cancers. Berries can easily be added to your daily diet by including them in a balanced breakfast of whole grains and yogurt or substituting frozen berries for your favorite dessert.

While this study focused specifically on berries, other foods that are good sources of flavonoids include citrus fruit, kidney beans, walnuts, pistachios, onions and dark chocolate.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Millions of Americans suffer from osteoarthritis in the United States and many of them use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to manage the pain. However, studies have linked NSAIDS to negative side effects, including heart and gut problems.

Researchers with JSS Medical Research in Montreal and the company Unigen tested a botanical blend of flavonoids to see if it could provide osteoarthritis relief. They found that it may provide more effective relief for joint pain and stiffness than Celecoxib, a commonly prescribed NSAID.

Their findings were published on April 5, 2012, in Nutrition Journal.

Participants in the study included 60 people between the ages of 40 and 75 who suffered from osteoarthritis. The participants received one of four interventions:

1. a placebo

2. 250 mg of the botanical supplement

3. 500 mg of the botanical supplement

4. 200 mg of Celecoxib, an NSAID

After 90 days of daily supplementation, both the supplement group and the Celecoxib group showed reduced pain on the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). No changes were seen in the placebo group.

The supplement groups also had reduced functional impairment scores, an improvement not seen in the Celecoxib or placebo groups. No negative side effects were noted in blood analysis of the botanical group.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring antioxidants which have previously been shown to decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow.

Foods high in flavonoids include fruit, tea, wine and dark chocolate, all of which are can be easily incorporated into your dairy diet.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Not all flavonoids are created equal, at least when it comes to reducing stroke risk. That’s the news from a study published online ahead of print on February 23, 2012 in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Flavonoids are a class of compounds found in fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine. The flavonoids in citrus fruits are in the flavanone categeory. According to the Norwich Medical School researchers, flavanones present in citrus fruit may dramatically reduce women’s risk of ischemic stroke.

The researchers examined data from the Nurse’s Health Study, which had 69,622 participants who were followed for 14 years. The women reported their food intake for the study and the researchers analyzed it to determine the association, if any, between flavonoid intake and stroke. They also looked at the relationship between the six main subclasses of flavonoids and the risk of ischemic, hemorrhagic and total stroke.

They found no association between general flavonoid intake and reduced stroke risk. However, high consumption of citrus fruit resulted in a 19% lower risk of ischemic (blood-clot related) stroke compared to low consumption.

Oranges and orange juice account for 82% of the citrus fruit consumed by participants in the study, while grapefruit and grapefruit juice accounted for 14%. The researchers suggest increasing citrus fruit intake rather than juice, as most juice has high sugar content.

Flavonoids are the naturally occurring antioxidants which have previously been shown to decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow. Try having fruit with yogurt for breakfast, a salad at lunch, and a glass of red wine followed by a small piece of dark chocolate at dinner to increase your flavonoid intake in a delicious way.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

What did you eat today? Most Americans would probably respond by saying a lot of processed foods and white flour, and very little fresh fruits or vegetables.

You might want to take a minute to reconsider your diet, as a recent study from researchers at the American Cancer Society suggests that eating more flavonoid rich foods could dramatically reduce your risk of stroke. Fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate, nuts, tea, and red wine are just some of the foods that can supply you with these essential nutrients.

The study, which was published in the February 2012 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked the dietary intake of almost 100,000 adults with an average age of 70 over a period of 7 years. The participants filled out questionnaires regarding their medical history, lifestyle behaviors, and a 152-item food-frequency questionnaire.

The researchers then placed the participants into five groups, depending on the flavonoid levels of their food intake. They discovered that the group with highest flavonoid consumption was 18% less likely to die of heart disease or stroke when compared with the lowest consumption group. Heart disease and stroke are the causes of more than 1/3 of American deaths every year.

The researchers noted that the highest flavonoid consumption group ate 24 servings of vegetables and 20 servings of fruit weekly, making it clear that extremely high levels of fruit and vegetable consumption are not required to reap the benefits seen here.

Flavonoids are the naturally occurring antioxidants which have previously been shown to decrease inflammation, protect our DNA from damage, and improve heart and brain health by increasing blood flow. Try having fruit with yogurt for breakfast, a salad at lunch, and a glass of red wine followed by a small piece of dark chocolate at dinner to increase your flavonoid intake in a delicious way.