Food of the Gods: the Role of Chocolate in Cardiovascular Health
Abstract
The benefits of chocolate in cardiovascular health have long been considered since a single observational study in Panama found an indigenous people who suffered no cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) yet drank a salt-enriched cocoa drink daily. Since then, epidemiological studies have found a decrease in CVD incidence in people who consumed moderate amounts of cocoa. The compounds responsible for the benefits of cocoa are epicatechin monomers which exert both an antioxidant effect and an upregulating effect on NO in the vascular system. Animal studies have shown that CVD progression may be halted with cocoa consumption and human clinical trials have shown that cocoa absorption causes a vasodilating effect. Since many of these studies used small sample sizes and incomplete blinding, the conclusion that cocoa may be beneficial for health is still tenuous, but becoming stronger.Published
2012-03-15
Issue
Section
Reviews