Cocoa may help diabetic blood vessels

VICTORIA, Australia, May 27 (UPI) -- Consuming a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage daily may positively impact the blood vessel dysfunction associated with diabetes, Australian researchers say.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, finds study participants who regularly consumed a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage made using the Mars Inc., Cocoapro process, experienced a 30 percent improvement in measured vessel function at the completion of a 30-day trial.

Dr. Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute in Australia, led an international group of scientists in the study on the impact of both immediate and regular consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa drink on vascular function in diabetic adults.

Medically treated adults with type 2 diabetes putting them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease drank a cocoa beverage made using the Cocoapro process that contained different flavanol levels, ranging from 75 to 963 milligrams. The researchers found a positive correlation between the flavanol dose consumed and immediate improvements in flow mediated dilation -- a measure of vessel health, or the ability of a vessel to relax.

The study is promising, but the researchers indicate that larger trials are necessary to fully demonstrate the clinical relevance of flavanol-rich foods in the context of cardiovascular health and disease.