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We have enjoyed serving patients and getting results for 10 years. However, we have not captured patient feedback to share successes with other patients. If you have a story to share, please send it to us. We will use these testimonials to create reinforcement that our approach to health care is a great choice and it has a lasting impact on our health and quality of life.
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Health Bulletin
Chocolate 'cuts death rate' in heart attack survivors
by Marlowe Hood – August 13, 2009
PARIS (AFP) – Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported.
Smaller quantities confer less protection, but are still better than none, according to the study, which appears in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Earlier research had established a strong link between cocoa-based confections and lowered blood pressure or improvement in blood flow.
It had also shown that chocolate cuts the rate of heart-related mortality in healthy older men, along with post-menopausal women.
But the new study, led by Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, is the first to demonstrate that consuming chocolate can help ward off the grim reaper if one has suffered acute myocardial infarction -- otherwise known as a heart attack.
"It was specific to chocolate -- we found no benefit to sweets in general," said Kenneth Mukamal, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study.
"It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate" for explaining the live-saving properties, he told AFP in an exchange of e-mails.
Antioxidants are compounds that protect against so-called free radicals, molecules which accumulate in the body over time that can damage cells and are thought to play a role in heart disease, cancer and the aging process.
In the study, Janszky and colleagues tracked 1,169 non-diabetic men and women, 45-to-70 years old, in Stockholm County during the early 1990s from the time they were hospitalised with their first-ever heart attack.
The participants were queried before leaving hospital on their food consumption habits over the previous year, including how much chocolate they ate on a regular basis.
They underwent a health examination three months after discharge, and were monitored for eight years after that. The incidence of fatal heart attacks correlated inversely with the amount of chocolate consumed.
"Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds," the researchers concluded.
The results held true for men and women, and across all the age groups included in the study.
Other factors that might have affected the outcome -- alcohol consumption, obesity, smoking -- were also taken into account.
So should we all be loading up on cocoa-rich sweets?
"To be frank, I'm pretty cautious about chocolate because we're working on weight problems with so many individuals," said Mukamal, who is also a practising physician.
"However, I do encourage those who are looking for healthier desserts to consider chocolate in small quantities," he said.
"For individuals with no weight issues who have been able to eat chocolate in moderation and remain slim, I do not limit it," he added.
The researchers caution that clinical trials are needed to back up the findings of their study.
In the meantime, however, a bit of chocolate may not be amiss, they suggest.
Success Story
Contributed by Megan Strocel
We are very happy for our patients using the Natural Edge™ program to create healthy lives. The success is simple yet powerful. The term Natural Edge refers to focusing on the basics of healthy living and the resulting health changes that provide us with a Natural Edge in all aspects of our lives. Here is another successful case study. A female patient in her fourties presented to the clinic struggling with high blood pressure and central obesity. The patient previously tried a few weight loss programs. However, she did not continue with the programs and regained the weight after the programs finished. She had an unhealthy hip-to-waist ratio indicating an unhealthy body composition.
The initial priorities for this patient were to reduce her weight by fifteen pounds, have less bloating, and feel good overall. The issues with the patient’s lifestyle included not eating frequently enough, eating excess carbohydrates and sugar, needing more variety in her exercise plan, and she was not drinking enough water.
With the Natural Edge™ program this patient passed her weight goal by an extra ten pounds and she has achieved a healthy body composition. Her blood pressure decreased to within a healthy range. The patient is now maintaining a healthy waist-hip-ratio.
Disclaimer
This document does not convey medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Persons wanting to learn more about the topics discussed in this document or to pursue treatments need to contact the Nardella Clinic. Assessment by a clinic doctor or qualified staff member is required prior to starting any treatment.
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