Make sure you consume enough fruit and veggies each day for a number of reasons. Fruits and vegetables not only keep our guts healthy and include many of the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies require to function at their best, but they may also aid in maintaining a heart health.
Iow Flavanol Intake
However, a class of chemicals known as flavanols may make some plant diets healthier than others. For instance, a recent study I participated in revealed that persons who consume a diet rich in foods containing flavanols may have improved memory compared to those who do not. A prior study discovered that those with low flavanol intake had an increased chance of developing heart disease.
Although studies have shown that flavanols have a variety of heart health advantages, it’s crucial for consumers to understand that not all foods high in flavanols have the same amount of flavanols, meaning some may have a more positive impact on heart health than others. A class of substances known as flavanols can be found in a wide variety of plants, including apples, berries, plums, and even alcoholic beverages like tea.
unique structure and impact on the body
Flavanols are divided into two main classes and several subgroups. Additionally, the flavanol combinations found in each plant will vary. Each of these substances has a unique structure, and each has a unique impact on the body. This implies that flavanols are not all created equal.
Therefore, it’s crucial to select a source that offers a wide variety of different types while researching the health impacts of flavanols. The two primary forms of flavanols are present in cocoa, making the flavanols that are isolated from it a suitable model. Additionally, it enables scientists to determine which other foods are most likely to be advantageous depending on how similar the substances they contain to cocoa flavanols are. Since foods like chocolate, berries, and tea include a variety of flavanols, it is still unknown which specific chemicals are responsible for the heart health benefits. However, several studies have connected the particular flavanol epicatechin with improved vascular heart health. Epicatechin can be found in both cocoa and tea.
Concentration may be lower than that of other foods
Another thing to be aware of is that even if a food includes flavonols, its concentration may be lower than that of other foods. We created a test that measures flavanol consumption using urine a few years ago to better understand how flavanol intake influences health. The test determines if someone has consumed a lot, a little, or no flavanols at all depending on how the body breaks down flavanols.
With the aid of this test, we were able to demonstrate that those who consumed more flavanols had lower blood pressure and better memory than those who consumed less of them. When we created the urine test, we also looked at how certain flavanols and meals would affect it. This allowed us to calculate how many different foods high in flavanols an individual needs to eat in order to get about 500 mg of flavanols per day, which is roughly the quantity utilized in trials and has been demonstrated to have clinical value.
