The Health Effects of Chocolate
Taka
Chocolate: Food as medicine/medicine as food.
Keen CL. Department of Nutrition, University of California at Davis,
95616, USA.
Cocoa and chocolate products have been delicacies for hundreds of
years. Only recently have they been recognized as significant sources
of phytochemicals with healthful effects. These foods are among the
most concentrated sources of the procyanidin flavonoids, catechin and
epicatechin. Recent studies have shown that these polyphenols are
absorbed from the intestine of animals and humans with epicatechin
absorbed much more than catechin. These flavonoids have potent
antioxidant and antiplatelet activities following consumption of cocoa
or chocolate. Publication Types: · Review · Review, TutorialPMID:
11603654
Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Nov;74(5):596-602.
Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative
susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans.
Wan Y, Vinson JA, Etherton TD, Proch J, Lazarus SA, Kris-Etherton PM.
Graduate Program in Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, USA.
BACKGROUND: 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 (CP-DC diet)
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 AAD supplemented with 22 g cocoa powder and 16
g dark chocolate (CP-DC diet), providing approximately 466 mg
procyanidins/d. RESULTS: LDL oxidation lag time was approximately 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 approximately 4% greater (P = 0.04) after the CP-DC diet
than after the AAD and was positively correlated with LDL oxidation
lag time (r = 0.32, P = 0.03). HDL cholesterol was 4% greater after
the CP-DC diet (P = 0.02) 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)(alpha) 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.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):197-204.
Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and
increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults.
Engler MB, Engler MM, Chen CY, Malloy MJ, Browne A, Chiu EY, Kwak HK,
Milbury P, Paul SM, Blumberg J, Mietus-Snyder ML. Laboratory of
Cardiovascular Physiology, Department of Physiological Nursing, School
of Nursing, University of Claifornia, San Francisco, 94143-0610, USA.
BACKGROUND: Dark chocolate derived from the plant (Theobroma cacao) is
a rich source of flavonoids. Cardioprotective effects including
antioxidant properties, inhibition of platelet activity, and
activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase have been ascribed to
the cocoa flavonoids. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of
flavonoid-rich dark chocolate on endothelial function, measures of
oxidative stress, blood lipids, and blood pressure in healthy adult
subjects. DESIGN: The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-
controlled design conducted over a 2 week period in 21 healthy adult
subjects. Subjects were randomly assigned to daily intake of high-
flavonoid (213 mg procyanidins, 46 mg epicatechin) or low-flavonoid
dark chocolate bars (46 g, 1.6 oz). RESULTS: High-flavonoid chocolate
consumption improved endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation
(FMD) of the brachial artery (mean change = 1.3 ± 0.7%) as compared to
low-flavonoid chocolate consumption (mean change = -0.96 ± 0.5%) (p =
0.024). No significant differences were noted in the resistance to LDL
oxidation, total antioxidant capacity, 8-isoprostanes, blood pressure,
lipid parameters, body weight or body mass index (BMI) between the two
groups. Plasma epicatechin concentrations were markedly increased at 2
weeks in the high-flavonoid group (204.4 ± 18.5 nmol/L, p < or =
0.001) but not in the low-flavonoid group (17.5 ± 9 nmol/L, p = 0.99).
CONCLUSION: Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial
function and is associated with an increase in plasma epicatechin
concentrations in healthy adults. No changes in oxidative stress
measures, lipid profiles, blood pressure, body weight or BMI were
seen. PMID: 15190043 [PubMed - in process]
J Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Feb;103(2):215-23.
Related Articles, LinksCocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications
for cardiovascular health.
Steinberg FM, Bearden MM, Keen CL. Didactic Program in Dietetics,
Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
This paper offers a review of current scientific research regarding
the potential cardiovascular health benefits of flavonoids found in
cocoa and chocolate. Recent reports indicate that the main flavonoids
found in cocoa, flavan-3-ols and their oligomeric derivatives,
procyanidins, have a variety of beneficial actions, including
antioxidant protection and modulation of vascular homeostasis. These
findings are supported by similar research on other flavonoid-rich
foods. Other constituents in cocoa and chocolate that may also
influence cardiovascular health are briefly reviewed. The lipid
content of chocolate is relatively high; however, one third of the
lipid in cocoa butter is composed of the fat stearic acid, which
exerts a neutral cholesterolemic response in humans. Cocoa and
chocolate contribute to trace mineral intake, which is necessary for
optimum functioning of all biologic systems and for vascular tone.
Thus, multiple components in chocolate, particularly flavonoids, can
contribute to the complex interplay of nutrition and health.
Applications of this knowledge include recommendations by health
professionals to encourage individuals to consume a wide range of
phytochemical-rich foods, which can include dark chocolate in moderate
amounts. Publication Types: · Review · Review, TutorialPMID: 12589329
J Nutr. 2000 Aug;130(8S Suppl):2115S-9S.
A dose-response effect from chocolate consumption on plasma
epicatechin and oxidative damage.
Wang JF, Schramm DD, Holt RR, Ensunsa JL, Fraga CG, Schmitz HH, Keen
CL. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis,
California 95616-8669, USA.
Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that a diet high in
plant foods and rich in polyphenols is inversely associated with a
risk for cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Chocolate, like
red wine and green tea, is a polyphenol-rich food, primarily
containing procyanidin polyphenols. These polyphenols are hypothesized
to provide cardioprotective effects due to their ability to scavenge
free radicals and inhibit lipid oxidation. Herein, we demonstrate that
2 h after the ingestion of a procyanidin-rich chocolate containing 5.3
mg total procyanidin/g, of which 1.3 mg/g was (-)-epicatechin
(epicatechin), plasma levels of epicatechin increased 133 ± 27, 258 ±
29 and 355 ± 49 nmol/L in individuals who consumed 27, 53 and 80 g of
chocolate, respectively. That the rise in plasma epicatechin levels
was functionally significant is suggested by observations of trends
for dose-response increases in the plasma antioxidant capacity and
decreases in plasma lipid oxidation products. The above data support
the theories that in healthy adults, 1) a positive relationship exists
between procyanidin consumption and plasma procyanidin concentration
and 2) the rise in plasma epicatechin contributes to the ability of
plasma to scavenge free radicals and to inhibit lipid peroxidation.
Publication Types: · Clinical Trial · Randomized Controlled TrialPMID:
10917932 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2000 Aug;46(4):199-204.
Antioxidant effects of polyphenols in chocolate on low-density
lipoprotein both in vitro and ex vivo.
Hirano R, Osakabe N, Iwamoto A, Matsumoto A, Natsume M, Takizawa T,
Igarashi O, Itakura H, Kondo K. Internal Medicine I, National Defense
Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
Cacao is rich in polyphenols such as (-)-epicatechin, and a colored
component of cacao (cacao-red) is polyphenol, which is an antioxidant.
These properties stimulated an investigation of the effects of cacao
liquor polyphenols (CLP) on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation.
The 2.2 '-azobis (4-methoxy-2,4- dimethyl valeronitrile) (AMVN-CH2O) -
induced oxidizability of LDL was assessed by monitoring the absorbance
at 234 nm. In vitro. 0.1-0.5 mg/dL CLP prolonged the oxidation lag
time of LDL in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the controls, it
was prolonged 1.7-fold in the presence of 0.1 mg/dL CLP, 2.9-fold at
0.2 mg/dL, 3.8-fold at 0.3 mg/dL, 5.4-fold at 0.4 mg/dL, and 6.4-fold
at 0.5 mg/dL. Furthermore, we enlisted 13 male volunteers to consume
35 g delipidated cocoa. Venous blood samples were taken before and at
2 h and 4 h after consuming the cocoa. The oxidation lag time of LDL
before cocoa ingestion was 59.0 ± 6.3 min, but it was prolonged at 2 h
after cocoa (68.3 ± 6.0 min); before returning to the initial lag time
(61.7 ± 5.7 min) before consumption. Thus we have shown that cocoa
inhibited LDL oxidation both in vitro and ex vivo. PMID: 11185658
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Nutr Cancer. 2003;47(2):131-5.
Chocolate consumption, fecal water antioxidant activity, and hydroxyl
radical production.
Record IR, McInerney JK, Noakes M, Bird AR. CSIRO Health Sciences and
Nutrition, BC Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
As part of a larger study into the effects of polyphenols derived from
chocolate on bowel health we have compared the effects of consumption
of chocolate containing either 200 mg of flavanols and related
procyanidins or a similar chocolate containing less than 10 mg of
polyphenols on fecal free radical production and antioxidant activity
in 18 volunteers. In a double-blind crossover trail volunteers
consumed chocolate for two 4-wk periods separated by a 4-wk washout
period. During the time the volunteers consumed the chocolate they
also consumed a low-polyphenol diet. Free radical production in the
fecal water was lowered from 122 ± 10 micromol/l/h to 94 ± 9 micromol/
l/h (P = 0.009) when the high procyanidin chocolate diet was consumed
and from 117 ± 14 micromol/l/h to 86 ± 12 micromol/l/h when the low
procyanidin chocolate was consumed (P = 0.014). Fecal water
antioxidant capacity measured by either the Trolox equivalent
antioxidant capacity or ferric reducing ability of plasma procedure
was not significantly affected. Consumption of either chocolate
reduced the production of free radicals in fecal water. This suggests
that some component of the chocolate other than the flavanols and
related procyanidins may have been effective. PMID: 15087264 [PubMed -
in process]
J Nutr. 2000 Aug;130(8S Suppl):2109S-14S.Comment in: · J Nutr. 2001
Mar;131(3):834-5.
Epicatechin in human plasma: in vivo determination and effect of
chocolate consumption on plasma oxidation status.
Rein D, Lotito S, Holt RR, Keen CL, Schmitz HH, Fraga CG. Department
of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Diets that are rich in plant foods have been associated with a
decreased risk for specific disease processes and certain chronic
diseases. In addition to essential macronutrients and micronutrients,
the flavonoids in a variety of plant foods may have health-enhancing
properties. Chocolate is a food that is known to be rich in the
flavan-3-ol epicatechin and procyanidin oligomers. However, the
bioavailability and the biological effects of the chocolate flavonoids
are poorly understood. To begin to address these issues, we developed
a method based on HPLC coupled with electrochemical (coulometric)
detection to determine the physiological levels of epicatechin,
catechin and epicatechin dimers. This method allows for the
determination of 20 pg (69 fmol) of epicatechin, which translates to
plasma concentrations as low as 1 nmol/L. We next evaluated the
absorption of epicatechin, from an 80-g semisweet chocolate
(procyanidin-rich chocolate) bolus. By 2 h after ingestion, there was
a 12-fold increase in plasma epicatechin, from 22 to 257 nmol/L (P <
0.01). Consistent with the antioxidant properties of epicatechin,
within the same 2-h period, there was a significant increase of 31% in
plasma total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.04) and a decrease of 40% in
plasma 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (P < 0.01). Plasma
epicatechin and plasma antioxidant capacity approached baseline values
by 6 h after ingestion. These results show that it is possible to
determine basal levels of epicatechin in plasma. The data support the
concept that the consumption of chocolate can result in significant
increases in plasma epicatechin concentrations and decreases in plasma
baseline oxidation products. Publication Types: · Clinical TrialPMID:
10917931
J Nutr. 2002 Jul;132(7):1825-9.
Flavonoids of cocoa inhibit recombinant human 5-lipoxygenase.
Schewe T, Kuhn H, Sies H. Institut fur Physiologische Chemie I,
Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, Germany.
(-)-Epicatechin and its related oligomers, the procyanidins, are
present in sizable amounts in some cocoas and chocolates. Intake of
flavonoid-rich chocolate in humans has been reported to increase the
plasma level of (-)-epicatechin and concomitantly to significantly
decrease the plasma level of proinflammatory cysteinyl leukotrienes.
Because leukotrienes are formed via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway of
arachidonic acid metabolism, we examined whether 5-lipoxygenase is a
possible target for the flavonoids of cocoa. Recombinant human 5-
lipoxygenase was reacted with arachidonic acid and yielded a mixture
of mainly 5-hydroperoxy-6E,8Z, 11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HpETE)
and hydrolysis products of 5,6-leukotriene A(4) (LTA(4)). The
formation of these products was significantly inhibited by (-)-
epicatechin in a dose-dependent manner with 50% inhibitory
concentrations (IC(50)) of 22 and 50 micromol/L, respectively. Among
the procyanidin fractions isolated from the seeds of Theobroma cacao,
only the dimer fraction and, to a lesser extent, the trimer through
pentamer fractions exhibited comparable effects, whereas the larger
procyanidins (hexamer through nonamer) were almost inactive. We
conclude that (-)-epicatechin and its low-molecular procyanidins
inhibit both dioxygenase and LTA(4) synthase activities of human 5-
lipoxygenase and that this action may contribute to a putative anti-
inflammatory effect of cocoa products. PMID: 12097654
Methylxanthines are the psycho-pharmacologically active constituents
of chocolate.
Smit HJ, Gaffan EA, Rogers PJ. Department of Experimental Psychology,
University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, BS8 1TN, Bristol, UK,
RATIONALE. Liking, cravings and addiction for chocolate
("chocoholism") are often explained through the presence of
pharmacologically active compounds. However, mere "presence" does not
guarantee psycho-activity. OBJECTIVES. Two double-blind, placebo-
controlled studies measured the effects on cognitive performance and
mood of the amounts of cocoa powder and methylxanthines found in a 50
g bar of dark chocolate. METHODS. In study 1, participants ( n=20)
completed a test battery once before and twice after treatment
administration. Treatments included 11.6 g cocoa powder and a caffeine
and theobromine combination (19 and 250 mg, respectively). Study 2
( n=22) comprised three post-treatment test batteries and investigated
the effects of "milk" and "dark" chocolate levels of these
methylxanthines. The test battery consisted of a long duration simple
reaction time task, a rapid visual information processing task, and a
mood questionnaire. RESULTS. Identical improvements on the mood
construct "energetic arousal" and cognitive function were found for
cocoa powder and the caffeine+theobromine combination versus placebo.
In chocolate, both "milk chocolate" and "dark chocolate"
methylxanthine doses improved cognitive function compared with "white
chocolate". The effects of white chocolate did not differ
significantly from those of water. CONCLUSIONS. A normal portion of
chocolate exhibits psychopharmacological activity. The identical
profile of effects exerted by cocoa powder and its methylxanthine
constituents shows this activity to be confined to the combination of
caffeine and theobromine. Methylxanthines may contribute to the
popularity of chocolate; however, other attributes are probably much
more important in determining chocolate's special appeal and in
explaining related self-reports of chocolate cravings and
"chocoholism".
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Very useful during the removal of arachidonic acid from ones body.
Just don't feed it to the dogs!
Taka
RF
daily 40 g of 72%+ :-)