萬聖節護心抗氧 食黑朱古力果仁

一年一度的萬聖節即將來臨，不少人喜歡去陰森的樂園鬼屋「俾鬼嚇」，感受節日氣氛。但不是所有人都適合這些刺激的活動，當人受驚或遇上極大的心理壓力時，大腦會刺激腎上腺(Adrenal gland)分泌大腎上腺素(Adrenaline)。從而令到心跳加速、血壓急升，增加血管爆裂風險，甚至誘發俗稱心碎症候群(Broken heart syndrome) 的章魚壺心肌症（Takotsubo cardiomyopathy）。似乎驚嚇並不會「嚇破膽」，但會影響心血管狀態,尤其是有心臟、血管疾病,又或是「三高」人士;有較高風險暈倒、休克、甚至猝死。有相關狀況的人士應留意，量力而為便可。

除了有可能誘發心血管狀況的「玩驚嚇」外，「不給糖就搗蛋(Trick-or-treat)!」也是萬聖節熱門活動之一。大部分「甜頭」糖果也不太健康，大家不如以較有益的朱古力、果乾和果仁等代替。食朱古力可以幫助保護心臟血管健康，減低患上心血管疾病。前文曾提及，荷蘭有項長達15年的研究追蹤了470名沒有長期病患或心血管疾病歷史長者的飲食習慣和血壓，發現有進食朱古力習慣的長者，除了有比較低的血壓，心血管疾病死亡風險下降了50%。另一項美國研究追蹤了三萬多名沒有血管疾病歷史的更年期婦女，亦發現有食朱古力習慣的婦女有較低的心血管疾病死亡風險。

多酚助抗氧抗炎 朱古力護心血管

朱古力的主要材料---可可含有豐富的抗氧化物多酚(Polyphenol)，例如類黃酮(Flavonoid)，酚酸(Phenolic acid)等 。當中30% 的可可成份是類黃酮(如表兒茶素Epicatechin) ，其含量比茶、紅酒和生果還要高。

很多研究顯示患有冠心病人士都有較高的氧化壓力，抗氧化物則有助減低氧化壓力、從而保護心血管。美國有研究給20名至少有一種心血管疾病患者，喝含高或㡳濃度類黃酮的朱古力飲料。發現喝了含高濃度類黃酮的朱古力飲料的患者，其反映血管細胞功能的血流介導擴張程度FMD(flow-mediated dilation)明顯較高，有助改善心血管疾病。另外有研究發現服食了表兒茶素的小鼠，血液抗氧化能力上升、患上高血壓的風險明顯較低。

長期炎症亦會助長血管斑塊(Plaque)形成，導致心血管問題。有研究指出可可多酚可以抑制發炎因子，例如TNF-a、IL-5等的基因表達或分泌。亦有研究指出，多酚能減低在血管中游走的免疫細胞與血管細胞的黏連機會，從而避免血管斑塊形成。

黑朱古力較健康 護心血管有幫助

朱古力的多酚成份雖然有助心臟血管健康，但不同朱古力的抗氧抗炎功效亦因可可含量而異。如黑朱古力比牛奶朱古力含有更高的可可和類黃酮、白朱克力則沒有可可成份。亦有研究指出，牛奶可能會與可可中的多酚結合，減低牛奶朱古力的抗氧功效。黑朱力對心血管健康的益處較多。

意大利有研究給高血壓患者，分組進食黑或白朱古力15 天。每個階段前後也會量度血壓、膽固醇、血流介導擴張程度等心血管健康指標。結果發現進食黑朱古力組別的心血管健康指標，比進食白朱古力組別，有顯著改善。土耳其一項研究發現服食了黑朱古力的心臟衰竭病人，比只食白朱古力的病人，有更高的血流介導擴張程度和血液抗氧化兒茶素。瑞士亦有研發現黑朱古力能透過抑制血小板黏連功能來保護心臟血管健康，而白朱古力則不能。總括而言，黑朱古力比其他朱古力，對保護及改善心血管健康更有幫助。

黑朱克力腸道菌助身心情緒健康

有研究指出，負面情緒如壓力、憤怒等會增加患上心血疾病的風險，保持輕鬆愉快的心情可以有助心血管健康。前文曾提及，黑朱古力可以增加體內「快樂荷爾蒙」，例如安多酚，的分泌，改善心情。韓國有研究發現85%黑朱古力有益生元的功能，增加腸道微生物多種性和調整腸道微生態，從而幫助改善情緒。進食了85%黑朱古力的受試者，腸道顯著地有更多卵形布勞特氏菌(Blautia obeum)，其數量增加與減少負面情緒有明顯的關係。

此外，益生菌亦可以代謝可可中的多酚，而這些代謝物可能幫助保護心臟血管，減低患上心血疾病的風險。舉植物乳桿菌(Lactobacillus plantarum) 為例，植物乳桿菌可以將多酚花青素(Anthocyanins)代謝成原兒茶酸(Protocatechuic acid)。有研究給高脂飲食的小鼠服食原兒茶酸，發現小鼠體內的三酸甘油脂(triglycerides)、膽固醇小平都明顯下降。

黑朱古力配山核桃 美味抗氧化更護心

黑朱古力味道較濃，配合其他配料如果乾或果仁等，能令口感變得豐富而更廣為大眾接受。果仁中亦有不少亦對心血管有益，如山核桃。美國有研究給健康人士食用含較多山核桃飲食(佔總熱量兩成)四週後，發現其血液中能改善心血管疾病風險的γ-生育醇(γ-tocopherol)水平有明顯上升。而在美國另一個針對超重及高心血管疾病高風險人士的相似研究中，食用山核桃組別血液中的γ-生育醇和血液抗氧化能力都比食用前明顯上升。可見山核桃對心血管健康亦有所裨益。

秋冬上市的益纖山核桃黑朱古力，選用72%特級比利時黑朱古力和美國山核桃，更加入益生菌芽孢乳酸菌 BC-30和聚葡萄糖益生元。配合成對腸道健康、心血管、以至整體健康都有益的健康零食。除了糖果外，大家不妨在萬聖節也給些健康「甜頭」，送黑朱古力給「不給糖就搗蛋」的大小朋友吧!預祝大家萬聖節快樂。

 
參考資料/延伸閱讀:

＜益生第一關＞2020/10/09 --『益生菌＋黑朱古力：雙劍合璧提升免疫』
https://hskgene.com/blogs/probiolife-first/probiotics_cocoa_immunity?_pos=3&_sid=ec01163d2&_ss=r

＜益生第一關＞2019/12/13 --『有益身心的黑朱古力』
https://hskgene.com/blogs/probiolife-first/darkchocolate-benefits?_pos=2&_sid=bb118b66a&_ss=r

＜益生第一關＞2019/03/08 --『朱古力的五個迷思』
https://hskgene.com/blogs/probiolife-first/chocolate

＜益生第一關＞2018/02/02--『黑朱古力ｘ腸道菌　助健康快樂』
https://hskgene.com/blogs/probiolife-first/chocolate_probiotics

Easy Reading:

Adrenaline Rush: Everything You Should Know
https://www.healthline.com/health/adrenaline-rush

萬聖節玩鬼屋三高心臟病唔襟嚇
https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20161014/00176_086.html

Dark Chocolate
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/dark-chocolate/#:~:text=Dark%20chocolate%20contains%2050%2D90,in%20some%20form%2C%20and%20sugar.

Fight Inflammation to Help Prevent Heart Disease
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fight-inflammation-to-help-prevent-heart-disease#:~:text=Inflammation%20may%20promote%20the%20growth,the%20result%20is%20a%20stroke

Google Images:

Halloween healthy chocolate 萬聖節益纖 山核桃 黑朱古力

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