Common Flavonoids Could Reduce Risk of Parkinson’s Disease In Men

I don’t think anyone was happier than I when I found out that dark chocolate actually contains the kind of anti-oxidants that are good for you! I am a known chocoholic from a family of chocoholics. So this discovery was an incredible validation for what we historically all felt a little guilt about. Now there are some new studies that are showing excellent preliminary results that the flavonoids in dark chocolate as well as other sources can actually have even more benefits for the men in our lives. Flavonoids may offer a decreased risk in men of Parkinson’s disease.

To begin with, you will probably want to know what flavonoids area. These are complex antioxidant compounds that are typically found in a number of products that we consume: tea, vegetables, red wine and also (thankfully), dark chocolate. Some studies have turned in the starting results to show that if you have a diet that contains a higher quantity of flavonoids, they may actually assist in protecting you against heart disease. Tahese are preliminary studies and there is a lot more work that needs to be done before the medical society is recommending that we increase our flavonoid intake.

Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating disease that affects the body’s ability in movement. It is both a chronic and progressive disease, with symptoms that will get worse as time progresses. The disease affects the brains nerve cells that allow the control of general muscle movement where they malfunction and eventually die.

The Nurse’s Health Study, involving the Health Professional 22 year follow up of 80,336 women and 49,281 men involved the review of flavonoid data regarding the consumption of flavonoids from a variety of sources: red wine, tea, apples and berries. Over the twenty two year follow up study there were 805 Parkinson’s disease cases that were identified. The results of the study were actually rather interesting. Researchers found that there wasn’t a significant link in the women in the study and the flavonoid intake but that the men that consumed the highest level of flavonoids showed a forty percent reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease development as compared to those men that consumed the lowest flavonoid content.

When examining the actual sources of flavonoids, it appears that the consumption of berries containing flavonoids offered the best results. Berries that contain the flavonoid anthocyanin offered the most significant reduction in risk for Parkinson’s disease, and blueberries are the one berry with the highest level of anthocyanins.

While this is fantastic news, most of us may have a problem getting the men in our lives to increase their flavonoid intake. It seems that dark chocolate and blueberries are a lot more popular with women than with men. But, since flavonoids are found in other sources, we can have some hope to slip those healthy vegetables into their diet. Keep your attention on the progressing studies on flavonoids. These are part of nature’s healthy and beneficial holistic additives that may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. That, alone, may be enough to add some blueberries to the diet.

Sources:
http://naturalstandard.com/news/news201204028.asp?utm_medium=email

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.