Each year, Dr. Thomas Loescher's team looks at more than 3,000 scientific papers on the human heart, selecting too few for publication in the European Heart Journal, which is one of the most important journals in this delicate field.
After leaving his position recently, Loescher wrote an article on the question that has long puzzled many, What is the effect of chocolate, coffee, and wine on the heart? He answers that the matter is more complicated than the easy judgments that can be summed up in one word, such as "harmful" and "beneficial".
The eminent scientist, who participated in writing more than 500 scientific papers over his life, confirmed that there are multiple factors, such as quantity and type, that have changed the impact of these foods on health, and that scientists have not found some answers to many questions.
According to the Guardian newspaper, Loescher described white chocolate as not healthy at all, and that chocolate may be useful if it is dark and bitter, low in sugar and fat, but science has not found some of the ideal healthy dose.
Luscher pointed out that in the past, chocolate was a rare food, but in the modern era it has become abundantly available, and plays a role in spreading obesity.
Regarding coffee, Loescher said that the more it is consumed, the less its stimulant effect, but drinking 4 cups a day may contribute to improving heart health. Wine has no proven heart health benefits, and its effect remains "neutral" at best.
Loescher added that he personally drinks no more than two glasses of wine a week, and one or two cups of coffee a day, and only eats chocolate when given to him by his patients.
Dr. circulatory system and consultant at the University of Sheffield, Britain, Tim Chico, agrees with Loescher that there is evidence about the benefit of chocolate and coffee, but there is no evidence of the benefit of alcoholic beverages for the heart.
Tracey Baker, a nutrition expert at the British Heart Foundation, commented that heart patients assume that chocolate and coffee may be harmful to them, and they feel very comfortable when they know that this is not true. Baker praised Loescher's article, saying it was balanced.
Baker stressed that the most important thing for the health of the heart, and the body in general, is a healthy life, that is, the desire to eat fruits, vegetables and grains, and to stay away from food full of salt, sugars and fats, to play sports and exercise constantly, and to refrain from smoking.
0 Comments