Chocolate Helps Repair Ageing Blood Vessels, Study Says
Posted on: Monday, 7 August 2006, 12:01 CDT
Drinking cocoa drinks rich in flavonols can aid the repair of blood vessels in adults, a study from researchers at Harvard Medical School has found.
The study - notably funded, in part, by chocolate-maker Mars and published in the Journal of Hypertension - found that adults drinking flavonol-rich cocoa drinks for four to six days improved their blood vessel function, with older adults appearing to benefit the most.
Flavanols, the natural compounds found in cocoa, have been increasingly linked to promising circulatory benefits - including improved blood flow and a reduced tendency to form damaging clots.
"Aging is typically associated with deterioration in vessel health, specifically related to function of the critical inner lining, or endothelium," said co-author Dr Naomi Fisher, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
"Our findings demonstrate that consumption of this flavanol-rich cocoa can improve the function of blood vessels in a healthy elderly population. More research is needed to see if older adults with cardiovascular disease can also experience these improvements following consumption of this cocoa, but these initial findings certainly offer great promise."
Source: Datamonitor
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