Cocoa Improves Endothelial Function

ADELAIDE, Australia—According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity, high-flavanol cocoa (HF) consumption improved endothelial function, but it did not enhance the effects of exercise on body fat and fat metabolism in obese subjects (2008;32:1289-96) (DOI:10.1038/ijo.2008.66). Overweight and obese adults were randomly assigned to HF (902 mg of flavanols), HF and exercise, low-flavanol cocoa (LF, 36 mg of flavanols), or LF and exercise for 12 weeks. A total of 49 subjects (M=18; F=31) completed the intervention. Compared to LF, HF increased flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) acutely by 2.4 percent (P<0.01) and chronically (over 12 weeks; P<0.01) by 1.6 percent and reduced insulin resistance by 0.31 percent (P<0.05), diastolic blood pressure (BP) by 1.6 mm Hg, and mean arterial BP by 1.2 mm Hg (P<0.05), independent of exercise. Regular exercise increased fat oxidation during exercise by 0.10 g min-1 (P<0.01) and reduced abdominal fat by 0.92 percent (P<0.05).