News bites: Spotlight on chocolate, tofu, capers and fish

A good reason to choc on?

A US study covering the past 50 years has found people who munched a bit of chocolate more than once a week had an eight per cent decreased risk of coronary artery disease compared to those who ate it less than once a week. But … the researchers did caution against over-eating — and we know 70 per cent dark choc is best.
European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, 2020

Tofu-tastic

If you eat tofu at least once a week, you’re 18 per cent less likely to develop heart disease than people who eat it less than once a month. That’s partly because plant-based protein sources like tofu are generally lower in unhealthy saturated fat — and higher in healthy unsaturated fat —
than meat-based foods.
Circulation, 2020

Take the plunge

Older women who eat more that than two servings of shellfish or baked or broiled fish a week could counteract the effect air pollution has on the brain, due to seafood’s omega-3 fatty acids, one study reports. The top fish species for helping you enjoy your share of omega-3 fatty acids include mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, rainbow
trout and anchovies.
Neurology, 2020

Sweet way to get your vitamin A

Just a single serve of sweet potato (1 cup) gives you double your daily vitamin A requirements — important for helping you boost your vision. Check out our sweet potato/kumara recipes.

Little green bud for your brain

A compound found in pickled capers activates proteins important for human brain and heart health, new research shows. The compound quercetin may even be helpful in research to treat diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia and epilepsy.
Communications
Biology, 2020