Cocoa [KOH-koh]

What Is It?

Chocolate and cocoa powder are derived from beans that contain hefty quantities of natural antioxidants called flavonoids. The researchers found natural cocoa contains the highest capacity of the antioxidant procyanidin. Antioxidants are thought to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

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Health Benefits

Polyphenols in cocoa improve lipid levels

In a human study conducted this year, those receiving cocoa polyphenols showed an astounding 24% increase in HDL levels after twelve weeks compared to only 5% in the placebo group. The cocoa polyphenol group also showed a reduced measurement of markers of oxidative stress in the body by 24%, while a measurement of LDL oxidation was lowered by 9%. The placebo group did not show improvement.

A second human study showed that after only three weeks of consuming dark chocolate, test subjects showed an 11.4% increase in HDL levels. In the group receiving dark chocolate enriched with cocoa polyphenols, a 13.7% increase in artery-protecting HDL was observed. The white chocolate group did not show these beneficial increases in HDL, but all three groups did show a decrease of LDL oxidation by 11.9%.

A decrease in LDL oxidation rates is a consistent finding in those who ingest cocoa polyphenols. It is the oxidation of LDL that enables this lipid to play such a significant role in the atherosclerosis process.

Very few compounds increase beneficial HDL. The favorable effect on HDL shown in recent studies indicates that it might be possible to tolerably increase endothelial-protecting HDL by ingesting dark chocolate and/or standardized cocoa polyphenol supplements.

Epidemiological studies show that increased intake of polyphenols is associated with a reduced risk of major cardiac events. The ability of cocoa polyphenols to support endothelial function by maintaining healthy nitric oxide levels is the primary protective mechanism. The secondary benefit of suppressing dangerous inflammatory factors is another mechanism by which cocoa polyphenols may reduce cardiovascular risks.

Life Extension Foundation

Inhibit LDL Oxidation and Reduce Thrombotic Tendency

Consumption of the polyphenol-rich cocoa may cut cholesterol levels, says a new study from Japan that adds to the ever-growing body of science supporting the potential heart health benefits of chocolate.

The new study, published in the Journal of Nutrition , followed the effects of different levels of supplementation of cocoa powder on cholesterol levels of 160 normocholesterolemic and mildly hypercholesterolemic humans.

"The results suggest that polyphenolic substances derived from cocoa powder may contribute to a reduction in LDL cholesterol, an elevation in HDL cholesterol, and the suppression of oxidized LDL," wrote lead author Seigo Baba from Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd and collaborators from Ochanomizu University.

Baba and co-workers randomly assigned the subjects to receive a containing low-polyphenolic compounds (placebo-cocoa group) or three different levels of cocoa powder - 13, 19.5, and 26 grams per day - for four weeks.

In all three high-polyphenol cocoa groups, blood levels of oxidised LDL concentrations decreased compared with levels observed at the start of the study.

Oxidation of LDLs is thought to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Increasing LDL's resistance to oxidation is thought to possibly delay the progression of the disease. Certain polyphenols present in a wide variety of plants have long been known to inhibit LDL oxidation.

Separate analysis using data from 131 subjects who had elevated LDL cholesterol levels of 3.23 mmol/L at baseline - the normal/ desirable LDL level is reported to be less than 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL). In these subjects, blood levels of LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL, and apoB concentrations decreased, while levels of HDL cholesterol increased, relative to baseline levels in all three cocoa groups.

ApoB is the main apolipoprotein of LDL cholesterol and is responsible for the transport of cholesterol to tissues. In high concentrations it has been linked to plaque formation in the blood vessels, although the mechanism behind this is not clear.

Food Navigator.com - Europe

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds of plant origin with antioxidant effects. Flavonoids inhibit LDL oxidation and reduce thrombotic tendency in vitro. Little is known about how cocoa powder and dark chocolate, rich sources of polyphenols, affect these cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Objective: We evaluated the effects of a diet high in cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility, serum total antioxidant capacity, and urinary prostaglandin concentrations.

Design: We conducted a randomized, 2-period, crossover study in 23 healthy subjects fed 2 diets: an average American diet (AAD) controlled for fiber, caffeine, and theobromine and an average American diet supplemented with 22 g cocoa powder and 16 g dark chocolate (CP-DC diet), providing 466 mg procyanidins/d.

Results: LDL oxidation lag time was 8% greater ( P = 0.01) after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD. Serum total antioxidant capacity measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity was 4% greater after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD and was positively correlated with LDL oxidation lag time). HDL cholesterol was 4% greater after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD; however, LDL-HDL ratios were not significantly different. Twenty-four–hour urinary excretion of thromboxane B 2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1 and the ratio of the 2 compounds were not significantly different between the 2 diets.

Conclusion: Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may favorably affect cardiovascular disease risk status by modestly reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility, increasing serum total antioxidant capacity and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and not adversely affecting prostaglandins.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Improved Blood Vessel Function

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that drinking a standardized flavanol-rich cocoa beverage improved several measures of blood vessel function, especially among older study participants. Flavanols are the natural compounds in cocoa that are increasingly being linked to promising circulatory benefits - including improved blood flow and a reduced tendency to form damaging clots.

In the current study, 15 healthy young adults under age 50, and 19 healthy adults over age 50 drank the specially-made flavanol rich cocoa beverage daily for four to six days. The researchers tracked changes in the function of their peripheral arteries using several measures, including peripheral arterial tonometry a standard method for evaluating the health of an individual's blood vessels. At the study's completion, significant improvements in vessel function following the consumption of flavanol rich cocoa were seen in both young and older adults. While aging has previously been shown to lead to a deterioration of blood vessel function, this study is the first to demonstrate that the consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa can improve this age-related loss of vessel function in older adults. In agreement with previous studies using this same cocoa, these improvements in both young and older adults appear to be linked to the ability of cocoa flavanols to influence the body's production of nitric oxide, a key regulator of blood vessel tone.

Medical News Today

Rich in Antioxidants - Protect Against Free Radicals

Many of the health benefits associated with flavonoids appear to be linked to their activity as antioxidants. Antioxidants are one of the body's defense against ‘free radicals', which are small molecules generated during normal metabolic processes. Excessive free radical production causes damage to cells and their components, including cell DNA (genetic material), and is thought to have a key role in the ageing process and in many degenerative and age-related diseases. Flavonoids act as antioxidants by ‘mopping up' free radicals in cells, thereby limiting the damage they can cause.

European Food Information Council

Cardioprotective Effects

Cocoa flavonoids are thought to have a protective effect on cardiovascular health through their ability to alter a number of pathological processes involved in the development of CVD. These include:

• Inhibiting the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol (‘bad' cholesterol) by free radicals, an important initial step in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

• Suppressing the tendency for small blood cells, called platelets, to clump together and form blood clots. This is often described as an ‘aspirin-like' effect.

• Regulating inflammatory and immune responses in blood vessel walls, which may be abnormal in CVD.

• Regulating vascular tone, or degree of constriction of small blood vessels, which contributes to high blood pressure. In producing these beneficial effects, cocoa flavonoids appear to act through a range of mechanisms, some of which are not thought to be linked to antioxidant activity.

European Food Information Council

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