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CHOCOLATE HEALTH CLAIMS Love chocolate? 73.9% of the United States population likes chocolate. It is a delicious snack that provides a boost after a long day. You have probably heard that dark chocolate has health benefits, but is that scientifically true or false? Clinical studies have found that cocoa may have health benefits, this is possible because of the amount of nutrients in cocoa that could improve heart health and boost brain function, especially in adult cells.
Written by Jennefer Iveth Mercado Cerda. Student of the Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Public Health, Researcher in the Department of Development at CidVID.
Baker L.D. et al. conducted a study to assess the design and baseline characteristics of the cocoa supplement and multivitamin for the mind. The study found that cocoa health benefits derived from flavonoids; cocoa beans and dark chocolate contains high levels of such components. Baker et al. study is still ongoing to evaluate whether cocoa supplement help preventing cognitive impairment in older adults, if there is an impact in short-term memory and what benefits provide to overall brain function. More than 2,000 older adults have been recruited over three years; however, investigators consider it’s too soon to drag final conclusions on the benefits for brain health. Another article supporting these benefits in an investigation carried out in Kuna, near to the coast of Panama, where the population consumes high amounts of cocoa. This population consumes hot chocolate like water, lots of cups throughout the day. Consequently, the population consuming high amounts of this product had a lower incidence of heart disease, compared to the neighboring region not consuming such high amounts of cocoa. Researchers are currently studying the exact dose of cocoa flavonoids that help improving general health, from eye problems to heart and cognitive diseases. References: Baker, L. D., Rapp, S. R., Shumaker, S. A., Manson, J. E., Sesso, H. D., Gaussoin, S. A., ... & COSMOS-Mind Research Group. (2019). Design and baseline characteristics of the cocoa supplement and multivitamin outcomes study for the Mind: COSMOS-Mind. Contemporary clinical trials, 83, 57-63. DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.06.019 https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/02/chocolate-health-claims
ADVERSE FINANCIAL EVENTS CAN BE A SIGN OF DEMENTIA A group of investigators carried out a study that discovered that financial problems could be an indicator of early dementia. Some older adults had these types of problems before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. Nicholas L.H. et al. examined the medical records of 80,000 adults between 1999 and 2018, they found that people over 65-year, living in singleperson households and receiving medical care, missed bill payments 30 or more days late, and
drops in subprime credit scores as early as 6 years prior to diagnosis of dementia or a related condition. The investigators state that this is the first largescale study providing scientific and quantitative evidence of the relationship between dementia and financial education of the elderly; the investigators conclude that dementia causes a negative impact on daily-life activities, including the ability to manage bills and finances.
Reference: Nicholas, L. H., Langa, K. M., Bynum, J. P., & Hsu, J. W. (2021). Financial presentation of Alzheimer disease and related dementias. JAMA internal medicine, 181(2), 220-227. DOI: 10.1001 / jamainternmed.2020.6432
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