Chocolate and Wine Are Life Savers
Posted on: Friday, 17 December 2004, 09:00 CST
It is possible to extend your life and avoid heart disease by regularly eating a simple set of ingredients hailed as the 'Polymeal', scientists said today.
The researchers gathered evidence on the beneficial effects of different types of food, including fish, dark chocolate, wine and garlic, in reducing heart disease, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
From this they worked out the combined effect of the ingredients and calculated their potential effect on an adult population.
The team suggested that dining on the Polymeal on a daily basis could cut the risk of heart disease by 76 per cent.
They said the effect was most dramatic in men, meaning they would live on average 6.6 years longer than those not eating the meal.
They would also live for nine years longer without suffering from heart disease, while those who did succumb would suffer for less of their lives.
In women, the Polymeal increased life expectancy by nearly five years, the researchers suggested. They said it would also delay the onset of heart disease for eight years longer.
Research last year highlighted the advantages of the Polypill - a combination of drugs taken in one dose to reduce heart disease by more than 80 per cent.
The Polymeal includes wine, fish, dark chocolate, fruit and vegetables, almonds and garlic.
For example, daily consumption of 150ml of wine reduces heart disease by 32 per cent, while fish eaten four times a week cuts heart disease by 14 per cent.
A daily dose of dark chocolate was also found to reduce blood pressure.
'The Polymeal is an effective, natural, probably safer, and tastier alternative to the Polypill to reduce cardiovascular disease and increase life expectancy in the general population,' the researchers concluded.
In a light-hearted aside, the team said an adverse effect of the garlic part of the meal could include 'malodorous breath and body odour'.
Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)
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