Chocolate and coffee are antioxidants, but … what does that mean?
For years I’ve heard that cacao and coffee are antioxidants, but I’m left wondering … what exactly does that mean? Are they healthy? Is there a limit to how much you should consume? Agave Road Trip’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Ryan Aycock, breaks it down in this free-radical episode of Agave Road Trip!
Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with Agave Road Trip Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Ryan Aycock.
Episode Notes
Check out Simply Cocktails by Dr. Ryan Aycock, the Cocktail MD!
The Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) gave smokers and workers who were exposed to asbestos given supplements containing beta-carotene and excessive amounts of vitamin A. They had increased rates of lung cancer and death. The experimental group received 15-30 mg of beta-carotene. A Centrum multivitamin has only one milligram of beta-carotene. These findings were confirmed in a meta analysis which demonstrated that, across the board, vitamin A, vitamin E, and beta carotene increased mortality.
Eighty-four men were given either coffee or water for four weeks and then had blood samples drawn. Spontaneous DNA strand breaks decreased in the coffee group when compared to the control group. The results of this and similar articles created a lot of interest in seeing if coffee or chocolate could prevent or treat disease.
The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. 21,000 adults randomized in a 2x2 fashion to receive either cacao extract and/or multivitamins. There is a slight decrease in stroke, heart attack, and death among the people taking the cacao supplements, but not statistically significantly so. There was also no change in new cancer diagnoses.
The same COSMOS trial looked at cognitive decline in older adults over a three-year period and also could not show any benefit to consuming cacao.
Meta-analysis on chocolate: Ding, E.L., Hutfless, S.M., Ding, X. et al. Chocolate and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review. Nutr Metab (Lond) 3, 2 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-3-2
Apologies in advance: “Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate,” Consumer Reports, December 15, 2022