Chocolate Better Than Fluoride?
A new research published in the dental journal, Caries Research, confirmed what the inventors of Theodent™ toothpaste have always been saying.
Theobromine, an all-natural and organic compound abundant in chocolate, is said to have the ability to re-mineralize and harden tooth enamel better than fluoride. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Rennou. Rennou is the patented chocolate extract found in Theodent toothpastes.
This study is authored by Dr. Ben Amaechi, an associate professor and director of cariology in the department of comprehensive dentistry at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
This study focused on the enamel-strengthening abilities of theobromine, particularly its ability to re-mineralize or repair tooth enamel weaknesses, which almost always ends up in cavities.
It involved measurements of the micro-hardness of the enamel surface of human teeth after utilizing theobromine and fluoride. The research showed that theobromine increased the size of the apatite crystals. These crystals are supposedly the ones responsible for the formation of tooth enamel.
“This peer-reviewed study, conducted by one of the world’s foremost authorities on caries research, validates the potential of Rennou™ to ultimately replace fluoride in commercial toothpastes,” says Arman Sadeghpour , PhD, Theodent chief executive officer.
“The study’s implications are significant and potentially disruptive for the oral care industry since theobromine is safe to swallow while all fluoride toothpastes still carry FDA mandated ‘do not swallow’ warning labels,” he claimed.
As a response to the safety aspect, Theodent launched Theodent Kids fluoride-free toothpaste as the newest edition to the Theodent oral care line.
Dr. Amaechi’s work acts as a back up to theobromine’s effectiveness as well as its use as a “safe to swallow” substitute to controversial fluoride. The Caries Research requires even deeper research involving humans to make the most of the advantages that come with theobromine in both oral hygiene and caries-preventive products. Theodent Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Tetsuo Nakamoto said “those studies are not far behind.”
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: chocolate science, chocolate studies, fluoride, research, Theodent, tooth
Chocolate and Parkinson’s Disease
A recent study published in the Neuroscience Bulletin by Borah et al. at the Assan University in India showed that B-Phenethylamine (B-PEA, a substance naturally found in cococa beans) could be a causative factor for Parkinson’s disease.
The scientists said: “As consumption of some B-PEA-enriched food items has become an addiction in modern life, our proposed mechanism is of enormous significance and impact.” That is the reason behind their suggestion of limiting consumption of chocolate.
Nevertheless, their statements are quite arguable, since it focuses on rodent studies. They admit that they need deeper investigation on human needs.
Study shows that a person eating a standard size of 100g chocolate per day, he or she has a B-PEA intake of 0.36-0.83 mg per day. It relies upon on the type of chocolate ingested, though.
Past research indicated that 0.63-1.25mg/day of chocolate consumption could bring about Parkinson’s in adult mice.
One of the scientists said: “These results suggest that the amount of chocolate that a person takes normally might be toxic to dopaminergic neurons.”
Don’t worry, given that some antioxidants also found in chocolate can fight these negative effects, since so many studies have found out that polyphenols like cathechins could protect against Parkinson’s disease.
B-phenethylamine is also found in wine and cheese. Nevertheless, chocolate is supposedly the highest-containing food item.
Scientists don’t have a full grasp on Parkinson’s disease yet, but too much production of reactive oxygen species and the resulting mitochondrial complex-I dysfunction have reportedly been the underlying cause.
Researchers have always been curious about the beneficial effects of chocolate on Parkinson’s disease, considering Parkinson’s patients have the tendency to eat more chocolate than the general population.
It has been recently found out that there were no scientific evidences that showed how chocolate improved the motor function in Parkinson’s patients. They concluded that the increased chocolate consumption is “largely enigmatic.”
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, chocolate consumption, chocolate science, chocolate studies, fight, found, Parkinson's Disease
Why Chocolate Is Associated With Acne
A study done at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands, involved collection of blood samples from seven participants before and after consuming exactly 48 g of chocolate on a daily basis. This was done consecutively for four days.
The chocolate that was eaten had approximately 30% cocoa. The blood cells collected were exposed to bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes.
These bacteria are supposedly a contributory factor for developing acne when they grow inside clogged pores. When such takes place, the pores become inflamed. It then ends up in the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, another type of skin bacteria that could worsen acne.
The blood cells created more interleukin-1b after the participants had chocolate. Interleukin-1b is described as a marker of immune system inflammation when they were exposed to Propionibacterium acnes.
The scientists claimed that these findings indicated that eating chocolate may boost the inflammation which can contribute to acne. Chocolate eating also gave a boost to production of another immune system factor, known as interleukin 10, after having been exposed to Staphylococcus aureus, according to a report at MyHealthNewsDaily.
Interleukin 10 supposedly lowers the immunity against microorganisms. That said, higher levels of interleukin 10 may lead to conditions that would allow bacteria to infect pimples, and aggravate them, said the researchers.
In spite of the many talks about chocolate and some other foods that are associated with acne, little is known as evidence to display they actually cause acne, said Dr. Kanade Shinkai, a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, who has acne treatments as specialty.
Nevertheless, past studies have shown that high-glycemic foods, such as white bread, could be linked to acne. This is because they release sugar into the bloodstream quickly. While the acne problems of some people are impacted by diet, others’ acne issues are not influenced by diet at all.
This research was published in the journal Cytokine.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Acne, approximately, bacteria, CHOCOLATE, chocolate science, done, system
Stress-Busting Chocolate
In accordance with dietician Silke Restemeyer, who is working for a Germany-based nutrition association, chocolate can indeed uplift the spirits. She says that chocolates contain plenty of fat and tryptophan. These substances make sure that higher amounts of the neurotransmitter serotonin are created in your brain, thus giving us happy feelings.
Many people link chocolate consumption to positive memories of childhood. The sensation that you get from chocolate as it melts in the mouth gives a warm feeling, which may actually give you temporary distraction from all the apprehensions of daily life.
Nevertheless, this little pleasure typically lasts only for a little while. “After all, you can’t eat that much chocolate for it to have a sustained beneficial effect – and nor should you,” Restemeyer said, pointing out the high calorie and fat content of typical chocolate.
A tiny amount of chocolate every day will help you deal with stressful moments. However you should stay away from other sweet treats or snacks. Snack alternatives like dried fruit or fruit and nut combinations will provide you with sufficient energy that you need to help you keep stress at work or the stress of personal relationships in check.
At certain moments that you need chocolate, keenly observe yourself. When you’re always craving chocolate, you must take particular measures to curb it. Some measures include basic things such as drinking a relaxing cup of warm tea, taking a brief walk, and practicing relaxation techniques, just to name a few. Do any of these thing, and you are sure to dispel the blues.
“It would of course be preferable to avoid the stressful situations where possible, or to learn to cope better with them internally,” Restemeyer says. That way, you eat chocolate while enjoying a quiet moment, rather than considering it as an antidote to stress. That, I believe, is the true essence of chocolate!
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: chocolate science, serotonin, stress reduction
