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 .
Chronic Consumption of Flavanol-rich Cocoa Improves Endothelial Function and Decreases Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule in Hypercholesterolemic Postmenopausal Women
Endothelial dysfunction characterizes many disease states including sub clinical atherosclerosis . The consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and cocoa-based products has been shown to improve endothelial function in both compromised and otherwise normal , healthy individuals when administered either acutely or over a period of several days , or weeks . Women experience increased risk for cardiovascular disease after menopause , which can be associated with endothelial dysfunction . Whether a flavanol-rich cocoa-based product can improve endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women is not known . The purpose of the present study was to determine whether chronic dietary administration of flavanol-rich cocoa improves endothelial function and markers of cardiovascular health in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women . Thirty-two postmenopausal hypercholesterolemic women were r and omly assigned to consume a high-flavanol cocoa beverage ( high cocoa flavanols (CF)—446 mg of total flavanols ) , or a low-flavanol cocoa beverage ( low CF—43 mg of total flavanols ) for 6 weeks in a double-blind study ( n=16 per group ) . Endothelial function was determined by brachial artery-reactive hyperemia . Plasma was analyzed for lipids ( total cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ) , hormones ( follicle-stimulating hormone ) , total nitrate/nitrite , activation of cellular adhesion markers ( vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 , intercellular adhesion molecule 1 , E-Selectin , P-Selectin ) , and platelet function and reactivity . Changes in these plasma markers were then correlated to brachial reactivity . Brachial artery hyperemic blood flow increased significantly by 76 % ( P<0.05 vs. baseline ) after the 6-week cocoa intervention in the high CF group , compared with 32 % in the low CF cocoa group ( P = ns vs. baseline ) . The 2.4-fold increase in hyperemic blood flow with high CF cocoa closely correlated ( r2=0.8 ) with a significant decrease ( 11 % ) in plasma levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 . Similar responses were not observed after chronic use of low CF . There were no significant differences between high and low CF in other biochemical markers and parameters measured . This study is the first to identify beneficial vascular effects of flavanol-rich cocoa consumption in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women . In addition , our results suggest that reductions in plasma soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 after chronic consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa may be mechanistically linked to improved vascular reactivity
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 .