Is Marmite the latest cure for heart disease?

It looked like one-nil to the Marmite lovers this morning as many headlines declared that the spread could protect against potentially fatal heart problems. According to a new study by the scientists at the University of Bristol, benfotiamine, a derivative of vitamin B1, naturally found in yeast extract, could help speed up recovery time after a heart attack and possibly prevent cardiovascular disease in people suffering from diabetes. One in 20 Brits has diabetes, which carries with it an increased risk of heart disease, and it's thought vitamin B1 could help the body remove toxins from glucose that damage the heart cells.

ZEST SAYS: If you hate Marmite but are considering spreading it on your toast tomorrow, you should remember that the research was actually on mice, rather than humans - and that the main benefit would be for diabetics. So while the findings are promising, more clinical trials are needed before anything conclusive can be drawn. And rather than bulk-buying Vitamin B1 supplements, remember that this valuable vit is readily available in other foods as well as Marmite (broccoli, spinach, bananas, dried apricots, milk, eggs, nuts, pulses, brown rice and fish), so if you're eating a balanced diet, you should be well-stocked while more research takes place.