Re: Epicatechins, neurogenesis, dark chocolate

[Guest guest]

Most people don't want to take the diet or life style route because it's tough and a lot of work.It's not rocket science, but it is hard and pills are easier. :-)I am NOT against drugs though, and if they find something that is proven safe and helps, I will be in line for them. Ginkgo is a drug- as is the active ingredients in foods.... they are just a lot safer and maybe even more effective since they come with all the original components, which I think are there for a reason. Carol in ILMom to , 8 DS My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me.Join our Down Syndrome information group - http://health. groups.yahoo. com/group/ DownSyndromeInfo Exchange/ http://downsyndromeinfoexchange.blogspot.com/Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusicFrom: Moe Webster To: DownSyndromeInfoExchange Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 11:25:05 PMSubject: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Epicatechins, neurogenesis, dark

chocolate http://www.google. com/search? hl=en & client=firefox- a & rls=org.mozilla% 3Aen-US%3Aoffici al & hs=KV6 & q=neurogenesis+ and+dark+ chocolate & btnG=SearchIt's not rocket science, I googled over 2300 citations on neurogenesis and dark chocolate. I already KNOW about epicatechins, http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2007/03/07031120

2024.htm. And silly me, I was just giving it to Maia, DS 9mos, because I wanted her to sleep better. Now, she's sleeping through the night and so am I. She's alert, active and doing great.I have questions... lots of them. Do DS kids sleep well on average? WHY ARE WE DRUGGING THEM WITH PROZAC TO SLEEP???? I don't GET THIS.Long term Prozac use is HARMFUL, and where oh where is Breggin's site on Prozac?? HELP, let's not kill our kids with Prozac. http://www.breggin. com/I know that I'm not the only parent who's sitting up nights, researching and reading and LIVING with a baby with DS, and we don't need to be rocket scientists to figure this out. I don't think that the opponents of the Changing Minds protocol are wrong because they're trying to keep a DS cure from parents. They are opponents because there are REAL DANGERS to that protocol. Please, please....

the first rule of HEALING is DO NO HARM.Warmest regards, Moe Webster http://www.jujuyouz .mobi "Comprehensive energetic coaching solutions utilizing the power within YOU!" "What we nurture in ourselves will grow; that is nature's eternal law." ~Goethe

[Guest guest]

What??? Wait here.. Dark choc does what? Gotta read that link.

I thought it was good for you? Personally I hate the taste.

Sam sleeps like a rock, and has a strict schedule..( her body's schedule) This kid literally fell asleep on Santa's lap last year ROFLOL.. cause it was " that time of the day" . YEs.. we got pics.. LOL She is not on any meds for sleep.

She is on the Ginkgo though. I ahve been happy with it.

Steph

[DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Epicatechins, neurogenesis, dark chocolate

http://www.google. com/search? hl=en & client=firefox- a & rls=org.mozilla% 3Aen-US%3Aoffici al & hs=KV6 & q=neurogenesis+ and+dark+ chocolate & btnG=SearchIt's not rocket science, I googled over 2300 citations on neurogenesis and dark chocolate. I already KNOW about epicatechins, http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2007/03/07031120 2024.htm. And silly me, I was just giving it to Maia, DS 9mos, because I wanted her to sleep better. Now, she's sleeping through the night and so am I. She's alert, active and doing great.I have questions... lots of them. Do DS kids sleep well on average? WHY ARE WE DRUGGING THEM WITH PROZAC TO SLEEP???? I don't GET THIS.Long term Prozac use is HARMFUL, and where oh where is Breggin's site on Prozac?? HELP, let's not kill our kids with Prozac. http://www.breggin. com/I know that I'm not the only parent who's sitting up nights, researching and reading and LIVING with a baby with DS, and we don't need to be rocket scientists to figure this out. I don't think that the opponents of the Changing Minds protocol are wrong because they're trying to keep a DS cure from parents. They are opponents because there are REAL DANGERS to that protocol. Please, please.... the first rule of HEALING is DO NO HARM.Warmest regards, Moe Webster http://www.jujuyouz .mobi "Comprehensive energetic coaching solutions utilizing the power within YOU!" "What we nurture in ourselves will grow; that is nature's eternal law." ~Goethe

[Guest guest]

Carol.. don't bust my bubble.. I was really hoping sitting on the couch and eating my bon bons was going to pay off .. for me at least !

Steph

[DownSyndromeInfoEx change] Epicatechins, neurogenesis, dark chocolate

http://www.google. com/search? hl=en & client=firefox- a & rls=org.mozilla% 3Aen-US%3Aoffici al & hs=KV6 & q=neurogenesis+ and+dark+ chocolate & btnG=SearchIt's not rocket science, I googled over 2300 citations on neurogenesis and dark chocolate. I already KNOW about epicatechins, http://www.scienced aily.com/ releases/ 2007/03/07031120 2024.htm. And silly me, I was just giving it to Maia, DS 9mos, because I wanted her to sleep better. Now, she's sleeping through the night and so am I. She's alert, active and doing great.I have questions... lots of them. Do DS kids sleep well on average? WHY ARE WE DRUGGING THEM WITH PROZAC TO SLEEP???? I don't GET THIS.Long term Prozac use is HARMFUL, and where oh where is Breggin's site on Prozac?? HELP, let's not kill our kids with Prozac. http://www.breggin. com/I know that I'm not the only parent who's sitting up nights, researching and reading and LIVING with a baby with DS, and we don't need to be rocket scientists to figure this out. I don't think that the opponents of the Changing Minds protocol are wrong because they're trying to keep a DS cure from parents. They are opponents because there are REAL DANGERS to that protocol. Please, please.... the first rule of HEALING is DO NO HARM.Warmest regards, Moe Webster http://www.jujuyouz .mobi "Comprehensive energetic coaching solutions utilizing the power within YOU!" "What we nurture in ourselves will grow; that is nature's eternal law." ~Goethe

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol,

I uploaded the Brunswick labs nutrition chart comparing unprocessed

cocoa, to dark chocolate, to blueberries, to grapes (and why would you

feed toxic poisoned with pesticide grapes to DS kids again???), in the

files section of this list online.

It's pretty clear, that dark chocolate achieves just about all your

ORAC nutrition needs, plus the extra magnesium and seratonin and

dopamine needed for kids with DS, with more bang for your buck. It's

not a problem to get a kid to each chocolate! Dark chocolate contains

MAO inhibitors that improve our moods, because they allow seratonin

and dopamine to remain in the bloodstream longer without being broken

down. This is a concern from DS children, from what I'm reading in

the literature. Commercial chocolates that are heated in production,

don't contain the high levels shown in the Brunswick chart that I

uploaded to this list files.

I just don't waste my time with blueberries or grapes unless their

organic, and for cost, it's not economical for many people in our

family to have that in their diet. We can eat dark chocolate all day

long, at a fraction of the cost. And you are absolutely correct about

the added sugar in commercial chocolates. That's a total no go. The

dark chocolate we eat is sweetened with acai berry, which has a very

low glycemic index, and safe for even diabetics. To avoid confusion,

this chocolate is food, not candy, and that changes the entire

picture. Only 2-3 pieces are needed daily, not entire bars of sugar,

fillers, and chocolate flavoring.

Moe

>

> Exercise tops the lists and chocolate, blueberries and grapes ( I am

assuming the dark grapes here, but not sure) add to the effect.

> I don't think sitting on the couch eating lots of sugar laced

chocolate, dark or otherwise, is going to be much help. :-)

>

> C

[Guest guest]

WOW! That is pretty flipping impressive! Though I would argue the fruits and veggies are also bringing lots of other good things to the party and should be included- I would say better to eat well washed non organic, then none at all, but I do try to stick to organic for 's food.... except for her Mc's fix. ;-)What kind of chocolate are you buying? I had read a great recipe to make hot chocolate using the cocoa nips that sounded very yummy, maybe just get the nibs and make your own chocolate from them, or are you using raw cocao beans? They seem to have the highest count, which would make sense. :-)Interesting article on chocolate here. Found this interesting article at Science

Daily

Dark Chocolate: Half A Bar Per Week May Keep Heart Attack Risk At Bay

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2008)

— Maybe gourmands are not jumping for joy. Probably they would have

preferred bigger amounts to support their passion. Though the news is

still good for them: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal

amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent

cardiovascular disease.

A new effect, demonstrated for the first time in a population study

by the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso,

in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan.

The findings, published in the last issue of the Journal of

Nutrition, official journal of the American Society of Nutrition, come

from one of the largest epidemiological studies ever conducted in

Europe, the Moli-sani Project, which has enrolled 20,000 inhabitants of

the Molise region so far. By studying the participants recruited,

researchers focused on the complex mechanism of inflammation. It is

known how a chronic inflammatory state represents a risk factor for the

development of cardiovascular disease, from myocardial infarction to

stroke, just to mention the major diseases. Keeping the inflammation

process under control has become a major issue for prevention programs

and C reactive protein turned out to be one of the most promising

markers, detectable by a simple blood test.

The Italian team related the levels of this protein in the blood of

examined people with their usual chocolate intake. Out of 11,000,

researchers identified 4,849 subjects in good health and free of risk

factors (normal cholesterol, blood pressure and other parameters).

Among them, 1,317 did not use to eat any chocolate, while 824 used to

have chocolate regularly, but just the dark one.

"We started from the hypothesis," says Romina di Giuseppe, 33, lead

author of the study "that high amounts of antioxidants contained in the

cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other kinds of polyphenols,

might have beneficial effects on the inflammatory state. Our results

have been absolutely encouraging: people having moderate amounts of

dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive

protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is

considerably reduced." The 17% average reduction observed may appear

quite small, but it is enough to decrease the risk of cardio-vascular

disease for one third in women and one fourth in men. It is undoubtedly

a remarkable outcome".

Chocolate amounts are critical. "We are talking of a moderate

consumption. The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount

of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of

chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts the

beneficial effect tends to disappear".

From a practical point of view, as the common chocolate bar is 100

grams, the study states that less than half a bar of dark chocolate

consumed during the week may become a healthy habit. What about the

milk chocolate? "Previous studies," the young investigator continues,

"have demonstrated that milk interferes with the absorption of

polyphenols. That is why our study considered just the dark chocolate".

Researchers wanted to sweep all the doubts away. They took into

account that chocolate lovers might consume other healthy food too, as

wine, fruits and vegetables. Or they might exercise more than others

people do. So the observed positive effect might be ascribed to other

factors but not to cocoa itself. "In order to avoid this," the

researcher says, "we adjusted for all possible "confounding"

parameters. But the beneficial effect of chocolate still remained and

we do believe it is real".

"This study" says Licia Iacoviello, Head of the Laboratory of

Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology at the Catholic University of

Campobasso and responsible for the Moli-sani Project, "is the first

scientific outcome published from the Moli-sani Project. We consider

this outcome as the beginning of a large series of data which will give

us an innovative view on how making prevention in everyday life, both

against cardiovascular disease and tumors".

"Maybe," Giovanni de Gaetano, director of the Research Laboratories

of the Catholic University of Campobasso, adds, "time has come to

reconsider the Mediterranean diet pyramid and take the dark chocolate

off the basket of sweets considered to be bad for our health".

Adapted from materials provided by Catholic University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Email or share this story:

Carol in ILMom to , 8 DS My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me.Join our Down Syndrome information group - http://health. groups.yahoo. com/group/ DownSyndromeInfo Exchange/ http://downsyndromeinfoexchange.blogspot.com/Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusicFrom: mosaicbymoe To: DownSyndromeInfoExchange Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 3:21:54 PMSubject: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Re: Epicatechins, neurogenesis, dark chocolate

Hi Carol,

I uploaded the Brunswick labs nutrition chart comparing unprocessed

cocoa, to dark chocolate, to blueberries, to grapes (and why would you

feed toxic poisoned with pesticide grapes to DS kids again???), in the

files section of this list online.

It's pretty clear, that dark chocolate achieves just about all your

ORAC nutrition needs, plus the extra magnesium and seratonin and

dopamine needed for kids with DS, with more bang for your buck. It's

not a problem to get a kid to each chocolate! Dark chocolate contains

MAO inhibitors that improve our moods, because they allow seratonin

and dopamine to remain in the bloodstream longer without being broken

down. This is a concern from DS children, from what I'm reading in

the literature. Commercial chocolates that are heated in production,

don't contain the high levels shown in the Brunswick chart that I

uploaded to this list files.

I just don't waste my time with blueberries or grapes unless their

organic, and for cost, it's not economical for many people in our

family to have that in their diet. We can eat dark chocolate all day

long, at a fraction of the cost. And you are absolutely correct about

the added sugar in commercial chocolates. That's a total no go. The

dark chocolate we eat is sweetened with acai berry, which has a very

low glycemic index, and safe for even diabetics. To avoid confusion,

this chocolate is food, not candy, and that changes the entire

picture. Only 2-3 pieces are needed daily, not entire bars of sugar,

fillers, and chocolate flavoring.

Moe

>

> Exercise tops the lists and chocolate, blueberries and grapes ( I am

assuming the dark grapes here, but not sure) add to the effect.

> I don't think sitting on the couch eating lots of sugar laced

chocolate, dark or otherwise, is going to be much help. :-)

>

> C

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I'm an advocate of whole foods, and variety, especially in season, if

possible. This would mean that most of the planet wouldn't be eating

grapes, unless they were locally grown. And organic is always a

better choice for more than just one reason. And growing your OWN

food, is optimum, because your work with the plant is as vital to the

health of the plant as anything else. A fun read for people who have

the time for that sort of thing, is The Secret Life of Plants... it's

all there.

As for chocolate, it really is a food group of it's own you know. You

can find out more from my site, http://www.jujuyouz.mobi, click on

chocolate, and then click on the links. I've put a bunch of really

amazing links there. If you are in a big hurry, you can just go see

the presentation at http://www.thefivereasons.com.

Eating nibs is not a lot of fun, esp if you don't know what you are

doing. Chocolate is bitter. That means it's good for heart health.

The heart likes the bitter flavor according to the chinese. However,

our culture doesn't like our chocolate bitter, or raw, so it's

processed with heat and sugar added, k. o. -ing the food's value

nutritionally. The chocolate at my site is cold processed Belgian

chocolate. If anyone wants a free sample, just send me a note, and

I'll drop it in the mail to you.

Let me know how that homemade nibs drink goes for you. If you sweeten

it with xylitol, it will keep tooth decay from happening. That's my

two favorite things in the world right now, xylitol and dark

chocolate. I have google send me alerts when a dark chocolate story

comes out, and I get between 2-4 a day. It's definitely the future.

9 out of 10 people eat chocolate every day, and not all of it is good.

Moe

>

> WOW! That is pretty flipping impressive!

> Though I would argue the fruits and veggies are also bringing lots

of other good things to the party and should be included- I would say

better to eat well washed non organic, then none at all, but I do try

to stick to organic for 's food.... except for her Mc's

fix. ;-)

>

> What kind of chocolate are you buying? I had read a great recipe to

make hot chocolate using the cocoa nips that sounded very yummy, maybe

just get the nibs and make your own chocolate from them, or are you

using raw cocao beans? They seem to have the highest count, which

would make sense. :-)

> Interesting article on chocolate here.

>

> Found this interesting article at Science Daily

>

>

>

> Dark Chocolate: Half A Bar Per Week May Keep Heart Attack Risk At Bay

> ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2008) � Maybe gourmands are not jumping for

joy. Probably they would have

> preferred bigger amounts to support their passion. Though the news is

> still good for them: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal

> amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent

> cardiovascular disease.

>

> ________________________________

>

>

[Guest guest]

Do you know of other ways to use the 'nibs' besides in chocolate milk? (Although, it looks like it would be delicious.) I read in the article that milk products interfere with the absorption of some of the healthy benefits of the 'good' cocoa.

I think my husband and I would benefit from the chocolate also....not only our son with DS.

Thanks for posting the info.

Shirley