We have been studying chocolate and tea compounds for more than 75 years. Now we know that they help control blood pressure

A well -known Anglo -Saxon saying that an apple per day keeps doctors at bay. The nutrients of these fruits are undoubtedly a good way to prevent in the field of health. However, the healthy compounds we find in fruits such as apple or grapes are not their exclusive heritage of these. Some can also find them in tastier foods such as tea or chocolate. Flavanoles This is the case of the flavanoles (or flavan-3-tools), some compounds that, as a study has just verified, They can help us to keep our blood pressure under control. The study suggests that foods rich in these compounds, such as tea, chocolate, and fruits such as apple and grapes can help us reduce our blood pressure and with it our cardiovascular health. “The findings are hopeful for those who seek accessible ways to manage their blood pressure and support their cardiac health through enjoyable changes. Incorporating small amounts of foods commonly consumed, such as tea, apples, dark chocolate, or cocoa powder in a balanced diet can provide beneficial amounts of flavan-3-tools,” stood out in a press release Christian Heiss, co -author of the study. This last point is important, a balanced diet is always key when taking the nutritional advantages of any food. As Heiss himself clarifies, this type of dietary changes never serve as replacement for drugs, interventions and treatments prescribed by health professionals. These foods can be considered as an additional source of Flavanoles, but it may not be the main one. Old acquaintances. Flavanoles are old acquaintances for nutrition experts. These compounds are related to the color of some foods of plant origin, but throughout the last decades we have been detecting possible benefits of these compounds in people’s health. A decade ago, for example, it was observed Thanks to a study with mice that these compounds could delay the progression of type 2 diabetes. Other studies They have detected a positive effect of these compounds About memorythat It could be mediated for its positive effect on blood circulation. 75 years of research. The new study Show the results of a review of scientific and subsequent meta -analysis literature. The team compiled randomized essays published between 1946 and 2024, in which the effects on the blood pressure of rich foods in flanks and supplements of these compounds were tested. From these analyzes, the team concluded that foods rich in Flavenoles “considerably” high blood pressure, which supports its use in cardiovascular prevention. These foods “should be considered as effective components of interventions (based on healthy habits) to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular prevention,” The team points out. The details of the study have been published In an article In the magazine European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. A grain of sand. Nutrition is a complex science and that is why we must take into account very different considerations. For example, that a food is rich in a certain compound does not always mean that its consumption will allow us to reach the amounts that we require from the nutrient. It is also important to know if there are other nutrients or compounds that may affect us. For example, both black chocolate and milk chocolate can contribute to us Flavenoles, but the second probably also gives us excessive amounts of sugar that counteract the positive impact of these compounds. In Xataka | We go to the most expensive chocolate in history: how the cocoa crisis will shoot its price Image | Maryam Nemati

Low salt diets were our ally to control blood pressure. We had been overlooking the importance of banana

Sodium and potassium are two key elements for the functioning of our body, one sometimes interconnected to the point of serving one as a counterweight of the other. The excess sodium that we associate with high blood pressure leads many to control their salt consumption. On the other hand, if there is a food that we associate with potassium this is banana. Although not the only remarkable one. Less salt … or more bananas. A study based on mathematical models He has found Tests that increasing potassium consumption can be even more effective than reducing sodium consumption when our goal is to regulate our blood pressure. This can help us increase the dietary options of people at risk of cardiovascular diseases. “Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are recommended to eat less salt,” Explain in a press release Anita Layton, co -author of the study. “Our research suggests that adding more foods rich in potassium to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, can have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cut the sodium.” Electrolytes Both sodium and potassium function and electrolytes In our body, that is, substances that help our body conduct electrical signals, but that also fulfill other functions such as regulating the amount of water in our body or the level of acidity in the blood. Calcium, magnesium or phosphorus are other elements that enter this category. The sodium Specifically, it plays an important role in maintaining the volume of the blood fluid under control. Under normal conditions, if our body detects an excess of sodium or an excess volume in the extracellular medium, it reacts excreting sodium to return to normal. The lack of potassium is has related with greater difficulty in controlling the risks derived from sodium in our body. A mathematical model. The connection is well described in the scientific literature but the complexity of the biological mechanisms involved makes it difficult to estimate the magnitude of this connection between sodium, potassium and blood pressure. To estimate it, a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo, in Canada, has created a mathematical model that allows you to quantify this connection. The new model managed to identify how the potassium to sodium ratio consumed affects the body. The model takes into account aspects that affect this relationship such as sex or age. The team observed, for example, that, although men are more easily in an increase in blood pressure, they also respond to a greater extent to the increase in the proportion between potassium and sodium. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology. Evolutionary question. As explained by the team responsible for the study, evolution has been able to have a great impact on how these elements affect us. They point out that, during the recent evolutionary history of the human being, the presence of fruits and vegetables in our diet has been high, so it is natural that the regulatory systems of our body depend in such a degree of nutrients that these give us. Contemporary Western diets are, however high in sodium and low potassium. This could explain, they point out, why blood pressure problems are so prevalent in industrialized countries. Not only bananas. We usually associate potassium to bananas but these are not the only foods that this nutrient contributes. Among the foods that They stand out for their contribution in potassium They are vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, avocados and brocoli; legumes such as beans, lentils and soy; The potatoes. Among the products of animal origin are some dairy products, and fish such as phatan, salmon and Verdel. In Xataka | Banana must die (and only science can resurrect it) Image | Pixabay

Saquon Barkley puts pressure on Chiefs: “The goal is to win the Super Bowl”

Saquon Barkleystar running back of the Philadelphia Eagles, assured this Sunday after qualifying for the Super Bowl that His team’s goal is not only to reach the NFL final but to win the title. “I’m not going to lie. “I have tried to downplay it in my head but this is incredible,” he told the American broadcast of the Fox network after becoming NFC champion. “We’re in the Super Bowl, but the goal wasn’t just to get there: the goal is to win. Let’s celebrate and enjoy this and then we’ll get back to work.“he added. Barkley also highlighted the work of the entire team and highlighted that all his teammates did their part. “This is how you get to a Super Bowl,” he said. Philadelphia crushed the dream of the Washington Commanders this Sunday, won the NFC title 55-23 and will return to the Super Bowl two years after his last appearance. Those Eagles of 2023, already with Nick Sirianni as coach and Jalen Hurts as quarterback, They lost the title 35-38 to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefsat State Farm Stadium in Glendale (Arizona). In this year’s Super Bowl, which will be played on February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (Louisiana), they could meet again with Mahomes and company, or with Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia won its first and last ring year in 2018. Eagles broke the scoring record in a conference final and deployed a monumental offense led by Hurts and Barkleyauthors of seven of their team’s eight touchdowns. The quarterback, with discomfort in his left knee, sealed four touchdowns (three rushing and one passing) and finished 20 of 28 passing for 246 yards without interceptions. Barkley, an NFL MVP candidate after an impressive season, also excelled with three touchdowns and 118 rushing yards (7.9 yards per attempt). Keep reading:

China is very clear about what it has to do to free itself from US pressure: achieve technological self-sufficiency

The geopolitical scenario in 2025 is, if possible, even more uncertain than in 2024. The two protagonists are unquestionably USA and China because they are the two great powers that are disputing world supremacy. And each one of them leads a side with notable allies with whom it shares an evident alignment in the economic, technological and military fields. China’s technological development has been deeply conditioned for more than two years now by the sanctions that the US is deploying and his allies. These bans primarily seek to stop the development of China’s semiconductor industry, but their implications reach many other industries due to the omnipresence of chips, such as the military, robots, electric cars or telecommunications, among others. others. China needs to achieve technological self-sufficiency at any price China’s medium-term economy is at stake. And the world leadership for which it competes with the United States, too. The Government led by Xi Jinping is fully aware of how important it is for its country to put an end once and for all to the dependency that still exists today of many foreign countries from a technological point of view. Precisely this dependency has been taken advantage of by the US to prevent Chinese integrated circuit manufacturers from accessing the most advanced lithography equipment it produces. the Dutch company ASML. “By managing our own affairs well, we can promote the stable and healthy development of China’s economy.” This is the situation in which The Chinese Administration has promoted the holding this Monday of a meeting in which the country’s political and social leaders urged industry executives as a whole to dedicate your resources to the technology sector. Its dual purpose is to materialize new engines of economic growth and promote China’s technological independence under the leadership of the Federation of Industry and Commerce, which will be the institution that will guide the private sector on this path. “By managing our own affairs well, we can promote the stable and healthy development of China’s economy,” has declared Premier Li Qiang. During 2024, the gross domestic product of this country has grown by 5%, and several intensely industrialized regions, including Zhejiang province, aim to grow by at least 5.5% during 2025. The fact that the meeting among Chinese leaders was celebrated on the same day that Donald Trump has returned to the White House It has a marked symbolic character. A fact that is worth not overlooking is that at last Monday’s meeting, in addition to the political and social leaders of China, several very prominent people participated. from the field of science and technology. One of them was Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the investment company High Flyer Quant that backs the startup of artificial intelligence DeepSeek. Wei Hongxing, founder of AUBO Robotics Technology, also participated in this event. What is still not entirely clear is how China is going to act in the face of a probable escalation of the tariffs imposed by the US under the mandate of Donald Trump. We probably won’t have to wait long to check it out. More information | SCMP In Xataka | Historical record for China: its chip industry has produced more than ever in 2024 despite sanctions

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