title: The effect of cocoa, soy, oats and fish oil on metabolic syndrome in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of functional foods alone or in combination (cocoa + soy + oats + fish oil) on hepatic damage in rats affected with metabolic syndrome was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats that were given cocoa showed a decrease in the levels of triglycerides (TGs) and glucose (63 and 32% respectively) as well as a decrease in blood pressure (15%). Animals fed with soy showed a reduction of 21% in total cholesterol, 15% in blood pressure and 44% in TGs, while feeding oats reduced the concentration of TGs by 53% (P < 0.5). Fish oil caused a reduction in TGs (56%) and glucose (26%). The effect on blood pressure was statistically significant for the groups supplemented with cocoa, soy, cocoa + oats and the total mix. The main finding was a reduction in liver steatosis in animals supplemented with cocoa + oats (from 30 to 4.7% steatosis). Cocoa or fish oil alone did not protect the liver from damage, while cocoa + fish oil did.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most relevant effects were that the cocoa + oats mix decreased steatosis by a very large percentage, as did the cocoa + fish oil mix and the mix of all four functional foods.
authors.affiliation: Graduados e Investigación en Alimentos, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n Col. Casco de Santo Tomás, México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Barrios-Ramos
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garduño-Siciliano
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loredo
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chamorro-Cevallos
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jaramillo-Flores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D018554:Avena / Q000737:chemistry*; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055951:Functional Food / Q000032:analysis; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D045730:Soy Foods / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005395:Fish Oils