The Benefits of Cocoa & Chocolate
by Larisa Wright
Health benefits associated with the cocoa bean, the seed of the
Theobroma cacao tree, Greek for “food of the gods,” have made headlines
in recent months, much to the delight of chocolate lovers. Cocoa, the
primary component of chocolate, is a rich source of epicatechin, a
flavonol believed to be responsible for the health benefits of
chocolate. Teas (green
and black) and red wine are also noted for their epicatechin content,
but cocoa has a higher epicatechin concentration. (1)
Ancient societies valued the cocoa bean for its invigorating and
health-promoting qualities. (2) The Kuna Indians provide modern day
evidence of this ancient folklore. The Kuna live on the San Blas
islands, off the coast of Panama. Their traditional diet is high in
sodium yet they show little to no rise in blood pressure with age. (3)
Norman Hollenberg, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School,
observed Kuna people who drink up to 40 cups of cocoa per week. Dr.
Hollenberg noted that among the Kuna, rates of stroke, heart disease,
cancer and diabetes are less than 10 percent of their frequency in
mainland Panama. (4) Nutrition expert Daniel Fabricant, vice president
of scientific affairs at the Natural Products Association, said: “It
may be that these diseases are the result of epicatechin deficiency."
According to Hollenberg, epicatechin in cocoa should be considered
essential in the diet, and classified as a vitamin. (5)
Dr. Hollenberg is not the first to investigate the health benefits
associated with cocoa. A number of clinical
trials indicate that cocoa consumption is associated with decreased
risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, reduced clot formation, improved blood vessel function, and
lower insulin resistance.
One characteristic of cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis, or
hardening of the arteries. Studies have shown flavonols in cocoa appear
to benefit blood vessel function by influencing the production of
nitric oxide, a molecule that helps regulate blood vessel tone. Two
studies testing dark chocolate and cocoa found significant improvement
in overall blood vessel function in healthy volunteers. (6,7)
A recent German study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular
Pharmacology suggests that drinking cocoa rich in flavonols can reverse
impairment in the function of blood vessels, such as that caused by
atherosclerosis. (8) The participants (all smokers) were given cocoa
drinks made with different levels of flavonols and significant effects
on blood flow were seen after two hours. Blood vessel function improved
in proportion to flavonol concentration and could be correlated with
that of a person with no known cardiovascular risk factors. The
improvement was sustained while participants continued to drink the
cocoa. However, after a week of not drinking it, their blood vessel
performance returned to previous levels.
Consumption of flavonol-rich dark chocolate has also been shown to
decrease blood pressure and insulin resistance
in healthy subjects, as well as in persons with hypertension. (9,10)
Cardiovascular benefits of dark versus white chocolate were evaluated
in hypertensive volunteers by Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a senior scientist
at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, and
colleagues at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. (10) White chocolate
was used as the control because it contains all of the ingredients and
calories found in dark chocolate, but without the flavonoids. A
decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in
the dark chocolate group after 15 days. Blood pressure did not decrease
in the white chocolate group. The dark chocolate group also experienced
a reduction in insulin resistance, and levels of LDL or “bad”
cholesterol dropped by about 10 percent in the dark chocolate group,
but stayed the same in the white chocolate group.
Cocoa and dark chocolate may also favorably affect HDL or “good”
cholesterol levels. (11) A combination of flavonol-rich cocoa and
low-dose aspirin was shown to enhance the antiplatelet function of
aspirin. (12)
Given its healthful properties and great taste, it’s no wonder cocoa
has been a popular food since it was first made into a chocolate drink
by the Olmec Indians, around 1500 BC. Today, Americans consume an
average of about 12 pounds of chocolate per person, per year. While
milk chocolate is still the favorite, the health-promoting qualities of
flavonols are attributed to the dark variety. Nature’s
Sweet Life Raspberry Cardio Dark Chocolate and Calcium
Crunch Dark Chocolate offer all of the benefits of dark
chocolate, and as they are sweetened with low-calorie, low-carb,
all-natural xylitol, you can indulge to your heart’s health.
References
1. Ki Won Lee, Young Jun Kim, Hyong Joo Lee, and Chang Yong Lee. Cocoa
Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and a Higher Antioxidant Capacity than
Teas and Red Wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2003;
51(25) 7292–7295.
2. Dillinger TL, et al. Food of the gods: cure for humanity? A cultural
history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate. J. Nutr 2000;
130:2057S-2072S.
3. Hollenberg NK, et al. Aging, acculturation, salt intake, and
hypertension in the Kuna of Panama. Hypertension 1997; 29:171-6.
4. Bayard V, Chamorro F, Motta J, Hollenberg NK. Does Flavonol Intake
Influence Mortality from Nitric Oxide-Dependent Processes? Ischemic
Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes Mellitus, and Cancer in Panama. Int J
Med Sci 2007; 4:53-58.
5. Murphy M. Chemistry & Industry. Vitamin rethink on the cards?
March 2007; page 5.
6. Engler MB, et al. Flavonoid-rich chocolate improves endothelial
function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy
adults. J Am Coll Nutr 2004 23: 197-204.
7. Heiss C, et al. Vascular effects of cocoa rich in flavan-3-ols. JAMA
2003 290:1030-1.
8. Heiss C, Finis D, Kleinbongard P, Hoffman A, Rassaf T, Kelm M, Sies
H. Sustained increase in flowmediated dilation after daily intake of
high-flavonol cocoa drink over week. Journal of Cardiovascular
Pharmacology 2007; 49(2):74-80.
9. Grassi D, et al. Short-term administration of dark chocolate is
followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a
decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;
81:611-4.
10. Grassi D, et al. Cocoa reduces blood pressure and insulin
resistance and improves endotheliumdependent vasodilation in
hypertensives. Hypertension 2005; 46: 1-8.
11. Wan Y, et al. Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL
oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans. Am
J Clin Nutr 2001; 74:596-602.
12. Pearson DA et al. The effects of flavonol-rich cocoa and aspirin on
ex vivo platelet function. Thromb Res 2002; 106:191-7.
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