A sweet remedy may get rid of diarrhea The dark side Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of chocolate (that holiday gift box of assorted truffles is almost gone). And I'm all for any study that says eating it is a good idea. But eating dark chocolate to get rid of diarrhea?  Apparently, the idea isn't so far-fetched. Historically, cocoa was used by ancient South American and European cultures to treat diarrhea as far back as the 16th century. But until recently, no one clearly understood why the sweet remedy worked so well.  Now, scientists in California and Germany have discovered that it's the flavonoids in cocoa beans that can limit the development of fluids that cause diarrhea. Dark chocolate is particularly rich in cocoa and therefore may offer mild relief.  The researchers found that cocoa flavonoids can bind to and inhibit a protein called CFTR, which regulates fluid secretion in the small intestines. They hope to use this information to develop natural treatments for diarrhea, a condition that can quickly lead to dehydration in very young children and the elderly.  ****************************************************  A disturbing ring  Q: I am at a loss to help my brother who is growing increasingly frustrated by tinnitus. It is really causing him great distress since his doctors cannot find a reason for his problem. Is there a treatment for this condition?  JVW: Many tinnitus sufferers get some relief from supplementing with 80 mg of gingko biloba three times daily; 30 mg of zinc picolinate, offset with 2 mg of copper, each twice daily (but taken separately); or 1,000 mg of vitamin B12 injected once or twice weekly, followed by 5 mg of folic acid.  These have shown promise in lessening the severity of symptoms, but unfortunately there is no definitive cure for tinnitus. Some people have gotten relief from acupuncture, while others have tried white noise to drown out the disturbing ringing. Stress management techniques can also help patients deal more effectively with the problem.  ****************************************************  What is...tinnitus?  Tinnitus is characterized by a constant undercurrent of ringing, buzzing, roaring, or other abnormal sounds in the ears. Gradual nerve loss in the part of the inner ear called the cochlea is one of the most typical causes of tinnitus. This damage may be the result of advancing age. Other possible causes include exposure to loud noise, a build-up of ear wax, allergies, infection, trauma, high or low blood pressure, tumor, cardiovascular disease, or long-term use of certain medications, such as aspirin, quinine, and anti-inflammatories.  Yours in good health, Amanda Ross Editorial Director Nutrition & Healing  Sources:  "Cocoa-related flavonoids inhibit CFTR-mediated chloride transport across T84 human colon epithelia," Journal of Nutrition 2005; 135: 2,320-2,325

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