Big sellers
Amazonian health foods and anti-ageing drinks are likely to be big sellers on supermarket shelves next year, according to a British trend forecaster. Grooming products for ageing male baby-boomers are also among the top 10 growth areas predicted by Mintel. Beauty products and foods containing supposedly healthy botanical ingredients from the Amazon are becoming popular, Reuters reports. Mintel says consumers are more concerned about the world's natural resources and how goods are made.
Sweet news for the heart
A few squares of dark chocolate a day can almost halve the risk of heart attack in some people - and researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found out why: chemicals in cocoa beans have a similar biochemical effect to aspirin and can reduce the chances of blood-clotting. The study of 1,200 people found that a small amount of dark chocolate eaten regularly decreases the tendency of platelets to clot in narrow blood vessels, which can trigger heart attacks, the Guardian reports.
Magic of milk
And chocolate milk may be one of the most efficient drinks to recover after strenuous exercise. It proved to be far more effective than either fluid-replacement or carbohydrate replacement drinks in tests at Indian University. The study entailed athletes working out strenuously on an exercise bike, consuming one or other of the drinks, resting a few hours, then riding again to exhaustion. Over time, each athlete tried each type of drink, AP reports. After drinking chocolate milk, they lasted between 49 and 54 per cent longer on the second ride. The study was partly funded by the Dairy and Nutrition Council.
Secondhand smoke claim