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Chocolate, Apples And Red Wine Can Provide Multiple Health Benefits, But Only When Consumed In Right Amounts

Chocolate, Apples And Red Wine Can Provide Multiple Health Benefits, But Only When Consumed In Right Amounts

Researchers shed light on the optimal intake of B-Type Procyanidins found in cocoa, apples, and grape seeds to get their multiple health benefits.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : October 6, 2022 5:31 PM IST

Moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with many health benefits, including lower risk of heart disease. Most of the drink's potential health benefits are attributed to the presence of the powerful antioxidants, called polyphenols. And there's a growing number of studies supporting the positive role of a class of polyphenols, known as B-type procyanidins, on human metabolism, circulation, and the nervous system. These compounds are also found abundantly in cocoa, apples, and grape seeds. But you need to consume these micronutrients in right amounts to gain their benefits.

What will happen if you eat too many apples and drink too much red wine?

B-type procyanidins, found abundantly in these foods, are known to help in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes, controlling hypertension, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance, and improving cognitive functions, among several other health benefits.

Now, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan, have explained the hormetic effects of B-type procyanidins. Hormesis is understood as a phenomenon in which maximum benefits of a substance are achieved at mid-range doses, while decreasing progressively at lower and higher doses.

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The research team reviewed the data from several in vitro studies supporting the hormetic effects of B-type procyanidin ingestion. They also conducted in vivo experiments, which suggest possible connections between B-type procyanidin hormetic responses and neurotransmitter receptor activation of the central nervous system (CNS).

Their findings appeared in volume 9 of Frontiers of Nutrition, published on September 7, 2022.

Single intake of B-type procyanidin-rich foods and hormesis

The researchers found a temporary increase in the blood pressure and heart rate in rats when the animals were orally administrated an optimal dose of cocoa flavanol. However, they didn't see any change in the hemodynamics when the dose was increased or decreased.

Similar results were seen during the administration of B-type procyanidin monomer and various oligomers. The authors noted that their results support the U-shaped dose-response theory, or hormesis, of polyphenols, which was also observed in intervention studies that looked a single intake of B-type procyanidin-rich foods.

Additionally, the researchers found that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is responsible for the hemodynamic changes induced by B-type procyanidins.

The researchers noted that hormesis and its triggering biochemical pathways protect against various pathological and aging processes. While the health benefits of B-type procyanidin-rich foods like apples and red wine are undeniable, the link between the micronutrients and the CNS needs more research, they concluded.