Category Archives: Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Is Chocolate a Weight Loss Food?

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Robert Barrington

The flavan-3-ols are a subgroup of flavonoids. The flavan-3-ols are found as monomeric units in green tea mainly as catechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin gallate. In black tea the main flavan-3-ols are theaflavins and thearubigins. The monomeric flavan-3-ols are … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Black Tea, Catechin, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Endothelial Dysfunction, Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Green Tea, Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, Tea | Comments Off on Is Chocolate a Weight Loss Food?

Flavan-3-ols And Insulin Resistance

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Robert Barrington

Flavan-3-ols are a subgroup of flavonoids. Flavan-3-ols are sometimes called catechins as they include the chemicals catechin and epicatechin and their gallate conjugates. Flavan-3-ols are found in high concentrations in tea as monomeric units, and their presence may explain the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Blood Pressure, Catechin, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Green Tea, Insulin Resistance, Tea | Comments Off on Flavan-3-ols And Insulin Resistance

Cocoa Improves Insulin Resistance

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Robert Barrington

The phytochemicals in cocoa have been characterised and investigated. A number of these phytochemicals appear to have antioxidant effects and are bioavailable in humans. In particular cocoa is rich in a group of flavonoids called proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins belong to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Blood Pressure, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Insulin Resistance, Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on Cocoa Improves Insulin Resistance

Cocoa Improves Insulin Resistance

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Robert Barrington

The oxidative stress theory of insulin resistance suggests that excessive free radical production is a causative agent in the development of insulin resistance. Such free radicals are generated by nutrient overload, possibly through fructose feeding, which increases the de novo … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Blood Pressure, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Endothelial Dysfunction, Flavonoids, Flavonols, Insulin Resistance, Nitric Oxide, Oxidative Stress, Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on Cocoa Improves Insulin Resistance

Is Chocolate A Weight Loss Food?

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Robert Barrington
Posted in Catechin, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on Is Chocolate A Weight Loss Food?

Pycnogenol: Antioxidant Bark

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Antioxidants are protective of disease because they inhibit free radical chain reactions, and this reduces oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is associated with many Western lifestyle diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis and obesity. Oxidative stress may initiate … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Cinnamon, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavonoids, Free Radicals, Grapes, Green Tea, Oxidative Stress, Proanthocyanidins, Pycnogenol | Comments Off on Pycnogenol: Antioxidant Bark

Good Chocolate, Bad Chocolate

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Theobroma cocoa is the plant with produces the cocoa bean. From this bean cocoa butter and cocoa powder are produced through fermentation. Cocoa powder and cocoa butter are primary ingredient in chocolate, contributing to the distinctive taste and texture, respectively. … Continue reading →

Posted in Catechin, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on Good Chocolate, Bad Chocolate

The Benefits of Chocolate Without the Sugar

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Chocolate is manufactured from the cocoa bean through a process of cleaning, roasting and deshelling. Chocolate has been revered by humans as a medicinal food since early civilisation, and modern science attests to its healing properties. The healing properties of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Catechin, Chocolate, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Proanthocyanidins | Comments Off on The Benefits of Chocolate Without the Sugar

Theobromine Raises HDL

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Cocoa contains a high concentration of proanthocyanidins, phytonutrients belonging to the flavonoid group. Proanthocyanidins are biologically active in humans, and evidence suggests that they may protect from cardiovascular disease. Chemically, proanthocyanidins are polymers of the catechins found in green tea, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Cholesterol, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), HDL, LDL, Methylxanthines, Theobromine | Comments Off on Theobromine Raises HDL

Is Flavanol Absorption Improved with Carbohydrate?

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Robert Barrington

lavonoids are a diverse group of plant compounds that are bioavailable in humans. Flavonoids may confer protection from certain diseases in humans because they have the ability to inhibit free radical chain reactions and thus reduce oxidative stress. The association … Continue reading →

Posted in Antioxidant, Cancer, Carbohydrate, Cardiovascular Disease, Catechin, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Obesity | Tagged , | Comments Off on Is Flavanol Absorption Improved with Carbohydrate?