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At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Suppressing thoughts about chocolate.

OBJECTIVE: Thought suppression frequently results in subsequent hyperaccessibility of the suppressed thoughts. This study investigated whether this effect transfers to behavior. Does suppressing thoughts result in a subsequent increase in the performance of behaviors related to those thoughts? METHODS: Twenty chocolate cravers and 22 noncravers were instructed to suppress chocolate-related thoughts in an articulated thoughts task or they were given no specific instructions. Participants then completed a computer-based task which yielded chocolate rewards. RESULTS: Both cravers and noncravers could suppress chocolate-related thoughts when instructed to do so. Both groups of participants showed greater performance, and hence earned more chocolate, in the suppression than control condition (p < .05). DISCUSSION: Behavioral control may follow many of the same ironic pathways traced by mental control.

Behavior↗
PubMed2005

Myeloperoxidase-induced lipid peroxidation of LDL in the presence of nitrite. Protection by cocoa flavanols.

Lipid peroxidation (LPO) of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is believed to be a pivotal process rendering this plasma lipoprotein atherogenic. Several endogenous factors have been proposed to mediate LPO of LDL, among them myeloperoxidase (MPO), which is active in atherosclerotic lesions, and the plasma level of which has been proposed to be a prognostic parameter for cardiac events. Nitrite, a major oxidation product of nitric oxide, is substrate of MPO and a cofactor of MPO-mediated LPO under physiological conditions. Dietary flavonoids including (-)-epicatechin, a major flavan-3-ol in cocoa products, grapes and wine, are substrates of MPO as well as potent inhibitors of LPO in LDL at micromolar concentrations. Moreover, they strongly suppress protein tyrosine nitration of LDL by MPO/nitrite or peroxynitrite. By blunting undesirable MPO-mediated actions of nitrite, presumably via scavenging of the strong prooxidant and nitrating *NO2 radical, dietary flavonoids modulate NO metabolism in a favorable direction and thus counteract endothelial dysfunction. This article gives a survey on recent progress in this field with special reference to own recently published work.

Atherosclerosis↗
PubMed1990

Confirmation of the enantiomers of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline in the mouse brain and foods applying gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with negative ion chemical ionization.

With the aid of a new chiral derivatizing reagent and a sensitive and specific assay using capillary gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry, the proportions of R and S enantiomers of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ) in mammalian tissues and foods were studied. R- and S-1MeTIQ enantiomers derivatized with a chiral derivatizing reagent, perfluoro-2-propoxypropionylchloride, were clearly separated. The ratio of enantiomers was R/S = 0.24, 0.55 and 0.60 in wine, cocoa and mouse brain. S-1MeTIQ predominated in all samples. This result suggested that 1MeTIQ could be formed at least partially through an enzymatic mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Effect of exposure to a forbidden food on eating in restrained and unrestrained women.

OBJECTIVE: The current study explored the effect of availability of a forbidden food on subsequent eating behavior in restrained and unrestrained women. METHOD: Thirty restrained and 30 unrestrained, normal-weight women were assigned randomly to one of two conditions, an experimental group that was exposed to a forbidden food (chocolate) for 24hr or a control group that was given no special intervention. At the end of the exposure period, all subjects completed an intake test of the forbidden food. RESULTS: Although subjects were instructed not to eat the food provided for the exposure period, women in the restrained group consumed a small quantity of the chocolate, whereas unrestrained women consumed none. Intake at test was greater in the temptation than in the control condition and restrained eaters consumed more than unrestrained eaters in both conditions. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in terms of current theories of restrained eating and the possible interrelationships between eating regulation and cognition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The effect of deprivation on food cravings and eating behavior in restrained and unrestrained eaters.

OBJECTIVE: The relation between being deprived of a food and intake and craving for that food was investigated in restrained and unrestrained eaters. METHOD: For 1 week, 103 female undergraduate students were assigned to be chocolate deprived, vanilla deprived, or nondeprived. Only chocolate deprivation was expected to elicit cravings, as chocolate is not easily substituted, whereas vanilla is. RESULTS: The main effect of chocolate deprivation on consumption was qualified by an interaction with restraint. Chocolate-deprived restrained eaters consumed more chocolate food than did any other group. Restrained eaters experienced more food cravings than did unrestrained eaters and were more likely to eat the craved food. Moreover, restrained eaters deprived of chocolate spent the least time doing an anagram task before a "taste-rating task" in which they expected that chocolate foods might be available. CONCLUSION: Converging measures of craving indicate that deprivation causes craving and overeating, but primarily in restrained eaters.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography in the analysis of catechins and xanthines in chocolate.

Modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) analysis of monomeric flavanols (catechin and epicatechin) and methylxanthines (caffeine and theobromine) in chocolate and cocoa was performed by using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a principal component of the running buffer. Because of the reported poor stability of catechins in alkaline solutions, acidic conditions (pH 2.5) were chosen and consequently the electroosmotic flow (EOF) was significantly suppressed; this resulted in a fast anodic migration of the analytes partitioned into the SDS micelles. Under these conditions, variations of either pH value in acidic range or SDS concentration, showed to be not suitable to modulate the selectivity. To overcome this limit, use of additives to the SDS-based running buffer was successfully applied and three different systems were optimized for the separation of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, caffeine, and theobromine in chocolate and cocoa powder samples. In particular, two mixed micelle systems were applied; the first consisted of a mixture of SDS and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propansulfonate (CHAPS) with a composition of 90 mM and 10 mM, respectively; the second was SDS and taurodeoxycholic acid sodium salt (TDC) with a composition of 70 mM and 30 mM, respectively. A further MEKC approach was developed by addition of 10 mM hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) to the SDS solution (90 mM); it provided a useful cyclodextrin(CD)-modified MEKC. By applying the optimized conditions, different separation profiles of the flavanols and methylxanthines were obtained showing interesting potential of these combined systems; their integrated application showed to be useful for the identification of the low level of (+)-catechin in certain real samples. The CD-MEKC approach was validated and applied to the determination of catechins and methylxanthines in aqueous extracts from four different commercial chocolate types (black and milk) and two cocoa powders.

Cacao↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of mutagenic activity in instant hot beverage powders.

Extracts of several grain-based coffee-substitute blends and instant coffees were mutagenic in the Ames/Salmonella test using TA98, YG1024, and YG1029 with metabolic activation. The beverage powders induced 150 to 500 TA98 and 1,150 to 4,050 YG1024 revertant colonies/g, respectively. Increased sensitivity was achieved using strain YG1024. No mutagenic activity was found in instant hot cocoa products. The mutagenic activity in the beverage powders was shown to be stable to heat and the products varied in resistance to acid nitrite treatment. Differential bacterial strain specificity, and a requirement for metabolic activation suggest that aromatic amines are present. Characterization of the mutagenic activity, using HPLC and the Ames test of the collected fractions, showed the coffee-substitute blends and instant coffees contain several mutagenic compounds. Known heterocyclic amines are not responsible for the major part of the mutagenic activity. The main mutagenic activity in grain-based coffee-substitute blends and instant coffees is due to several unidentified compounds, which are most likely aromatic amines.

Amines↗
PubMed1987

Lead and cadmium content in cocoa beans (short communication).

The choice of cocoa beans as the experimental and sample material for study of the contamination with lead and cadmium was inspired by high Pb and Cd limits in foods made on its basis (cocoa powder, chocolate) as well as by the relatively high proportion of these foods in human nutrition. For Cd, the limits in food products are within the range of 0.01 mg X kg-1 (milk) to 1.0 mg X kg-1 (kidneys) whereas the limits for lead range between 0.1 mg X kg-1 (e.g. milk) and 10.0 mg X kg-1 (e.g. tea, yeast, crustaceans, molluscs). Limits for Pb and Cd in foods made on cocoa bean basis are given in Table 1.

Cacao↗
PubMed1991

Biochemical effect of chocolate colouring and flavouring like substances on thyroid function and protein biosynthesis.

Synthetic chocolate colourant, flavourant and the mixture of both were administered to healthy adult male albino rats to evaluate their effect on the nucleic acids metabolism, i.e. deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids (DNA and RNA), total serum protein, thyroid hormones (T4 and T3) and nuclease enzymes, i.e. cytoplasmic- and mitochondrial deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease (DNase and RNase) in brain, liver, and kidneys. Also, the activity of the fundamental enzymes of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, i.e. cytoplasmic and mitochondrial glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD and 6-PGD), as well as total lipids and cholesterol contents in the same organs were studied. Ingestion of the studied food additives significantly increased serum protein, RNA and T4 hormone, while, DNA and T3 hormone were insignificantly elevated. In connection with this, the hydrolytic enzymes of nucleic acids (DNase and RNase activities) were stimulated by all studied food additives and in all mentioned organs. The activity of G-6-PD and 6-PGD in both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fractions of all studied organs were increased. The highest increase was noticed in rats fed on diets supplemented with the mixture of both colourant and flavourant followed by colourant then flavourant, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Use of starch/xanthan gum combinations as thickeners of cocoa syrups.

The influence of starch-xanthan thickening systems on the sensory, textural and rheological properties of cocoa syrups was studied. The results of whole and partial sensory analyses of syrups obtained under laboratory conditions were presented and compared to those of commercially available syrups. In the evaluation of texture such parameters as hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess and stringiness were considered. The results of rheological measurements were presented in the form of flow curves as well as viscosity/time and viscosity/ temperature relationships. Flow curves were fitted to the models of Ostwald-de Waele and Casson, which allowed characterising the syrups under study to non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic, and thixotropic fluids. It was concluded that the quantity of thickeners used influenced not only theological, but also textural and sensory properties of the syrups. The decrease of pseudoplasticity and hardness with an increase of xanthan addition was a result of high sugars level in the syrups. This phenomenon was a result of competition between sugars (mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides) and hydrocolloids for water molecules in the systems under study.

Cacao↗
PubMed1987

Methylxanthines and breast cancer.

We investigated the relationship between methylxanthine consumption and breast cancer using data from a case-control study which included 1,510 cases and 1,882 controls identified through a nation-wide breast cancer screening program. There was no evidence of a positive association between methylxanthine consumption and risk of breast cancer. In fact, there was some suggestion of a negative association, particularly in women diagnosed after age 50. In addition, there was no evidence of increased risk with past or recent methylxanthine consumption, or with the consumption of caffeine or specific beverages, most notably brewed or instant caffeinated coffee and tea.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Taste preference and rating of commercial and natural thickeners.

Dysphagia can negatively affect quality of life, nutritional status, and pulmonary status of individuals. The most common intervention for dysphagia is the use of thickening agents for liquids. This group study (n = 43) investigated the taste preference, taste ratings, and ranking for nectar-thick hot and cold beverages using three types of thickeners: SimplyThick, Thick-It, and noncommercially prepared natural thickeners. Results demonstrated a significant difference between the taste ratings of two commercial thickeners and between one commercial and the natural thickener for the ranking of taste with hot beverages. Every participant rated at least one of the thickener beverages as having an acceptable taste for the hot chocolate and fruit juice beverages. Exploring individual preferences is critical to selecting a beverage that increases compliance to clinical recommendations.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Coffee contains cholinomimetic compound distinct from caffeine. I: Purification and chromatographic analysis.

Both regular and decaffeinated coffees were found to have cholinomimetic actions when tested in urethane-anesthetized rats. These actions were distinct from those of caffeine and reversible by atropine. The bioactive fraction was purified from alcoholic extracts of instant decaffeinated coffee by liquid column chromatography and preparative TLC. The purified compound showed similar pharmacological actions as the starting material. Chromatographic behavior was further characterized by analytical TLC and HPLC. Chromatographic analyses of extracts of green coffee beans and roasted ground coffees showed that the cardioactive compound was only present in roasted coffees. Similar analyses of other commonly consumed beverages, including teas and cocoa, showed that this compound was not present in beverages besides coffee.

Acetylcholine↗