FRC consumption significantly improves blood pressure , insulin resistance , lipid profiles , and FMD .
A growing body of evidence suggests that the consumption of foods rich in polyphenolic compounds , particularly cocoa , may have cardioprotective effects .
No review , however , has yet examined the effect of flavonoid-rich cocoa ( FRC ) on all major cardiovascular risk factors or has examined potential dose-response relationships for these effects .
Cocoa flavanol-enriched snack bars containing phytosterols effectively lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
BACKGROUND Dietary intervention studies incorporating phytosterol-enriched margarine spreads have reported significant decreases in total and low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol in population s with both normal lipid levels and those with hypercholesterolemia . There is emerging support for more diverse and lower-fat phytosterol-enriched matrixes . Controversy exists , however , over whether phytosterol-enriched foods affect serum fat-soluble vitamins . OBJECTIVE We investigated whether a flavanol-rich cocoa snack food containing phytosterols would decrease total and LDL cholesterol levels in subjects with hypercholesterolemia and significantly affect serum fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids . DESIGN A r and omized , double-blind parallel arm study design was used . Subjects were r and omized to one of two dietary treatments : a cocoa flavanol-enriched snack bar containing 1.5 g phytosterol ( n=32 ) , or a control product containing no phytosterols ( n=35 ) . Subjects consumed two servings per day . RESULTS Consumption of the phytosterol-enriched snack bars but not control bars for 6 weeks was associated with significant reductions in plasma total ( 4.7 % ; P<0.01 ) and LDL cholesterol ( 6 % ; P<0.01 ) , and the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( 7.4 % ; P<0.001 ) . There were no changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol , triglycerides , or lipid-adjusted lycopene , beta-cryptoxanthin , lutein/zeaxanthin , alpha-carotene levels , or levels of serum vitamins A or E. A significant reduction in lipid-adjusted serum beta-carotene was observed in the phytosterol but not the no-phytosterol-added group ( P<0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS This study supports the use of a novel phytosterol-enriched snack bar to effectively reduce plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels in a population with hypercholesterolemia . The data suggest that the incorporation of this snack food into a balanced diet represents a practical dietary strategy in the management of serum cholesterol levels
FRC consumption significantly improves blood pressure , insulin resistance , lipid profiles , and FMD .
A growing body of evidence suggests that the consumption of foods rich in polyphenolic compounds , particularly cocoa , may have cardioprotective effects .
No review , however , has yet examined the effect of flavonoid-rich cocoa ( FRC ) on all major cardiovascular risk factors or has examined potential dose-response relationships for these effects .