The Thrombosis Research Center of our University studies, among others, tomasa and bread enriched with bean flour, as products that can be consumed by the population and that would have a positive effect on the health of the elderly.
Macarena Muñoz, Journalist.- Researching the aging process and how to do it in a healthier way, avoiding thrombosis, is one of the lines of work of the Thrombosis Research Center (CIT UTalca), especially considering the increase in the population of older people who are observed both in Chile and worldwide.
This is how a team of Utalian scientists carried out a series of studies where they evaluated the various biological activities of fruit and vegetable extracts.
“We have studied fruits from Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Chile: extracts of cocoa, guava, olive, pomace, mango, tomato and strawberry, thinking that thrombosis is produced by the activation of platelets, therefore, In the laboratory, we analyze whether these extracts have the capacity to inhibit this activation and prevent thrombosis”, expressed Professor Eduardo Fuentes Quinteros.
Fuentes added that “these studies are supported by healthy eating recommendations that indicate that a person’s daily consumption should be 5 servings of fruits or vegetables, and indeed in the laboratory, in vitro, we have verified that these extracts have protective and/or antioxidant activity.
In addition to laboratory experimentation, the Center has conducted clinical studies in people to support these conclusions.
In the case of the tomasa extract, which is the residue of the skin and seeds that is generated when processing the tomato to make pulp, the specialist explained that, during the investigation, it was administered to 100 elderly people on an empty stomach, for five days in the morning. . In this way, it was possible to study the effects from the comparison of blood samples taken before and after consumption, and it was observed that “it effectively inhibits platelets, achieving a cardiovascular protective effect.”
bean flour
On the other hand, the academic, together with Professor Felipe Ávila from the School of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Center for Processed Food Studies (CEAP), are currently analyzing the effects on health of bean flour, which is used to create bread.
“We are beginning the study of the administration of bread enriched with bean flour, to elderly people, also fasting. We take blood samples before and 2 hours after consumption, since it is an acute study, to find out if, after that time, the platelets are inhibited thanks to this bread, ”he explained.
