Ario Conti

Rodolfo Paoletti

Andrea Poli

Francesco Visioli

Cocoa and chocolate are the subjects of much research in the fields of food chemistry, food technology, and health science. We now know that cocoa contains a remarkable number of bioactive compounds, and these are being tested in humans to verify their disease prevention characteristics. This state of the art text thoroughly explores the different aspects of the relationship between chocolate and health. After introductory discussion of the historical background, careful attention is devoted to technological developments designed to improve the health-giving qualities of chocolate and biochemical and clinical trials of cocoa and its components. Various health impacts of cocoa and chocolate are thoroughly evaluated, including acute vascular effects and effects on blood pressure, blood lipids, and platelets. Psychological drivers of chocolate consumption and craving are also considered. Readers will find this book to be a rich source of essential information on cocoa and chocolate, their purported health-giving qualities, and the advances that are being made in this area.

Chocolate and Health

Russel J. Reiter

Georges J. M. Maestroni

Over the past decade, the potential of the pineal hormone melatonin as a therapeutic agent in a variety of diseases has been recognized. This book is the first to review the effect of melatonin in sleep disorders, its possible use as an immunoregulatory agent and clinical results obtained in cancer immunotherapy. Several papers are devoted to the pharmacological and molecular characterization of melatonin receptors in a variety of cell types. Other contributions further investigate the immunoenhancing effect of melatonin, such as in viral encephalitis and bacterial infections, and consider possible therapeutic indications. Melatonin is also reported to exert important hematopoietic effects by stimulating the production of novel T helper cell opioid cytokines. Other basic studies introduce new perspectives describing melatonin as a potent free radical scavenger. This book should be read by clinicians working in the fields of sleep disorders, oncology and infectious diseases as well as by scientists active in the field of neuroimmunomodulation. It will also be very useful to all those interested in melatonin as a therapeutic agent.

Ario Conti

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