Flavanols in Cocoa May Offer Benefits to the Brain
Published February 18th, 2007
A special cocoa made to retain
naturally occurring compounds called flavanols may have the potential to
help maintain healthy brain function and chart the course for future
research that could lead to new solutions for preventing cognitive decline
and dementia, according to a panel of scientists who presented new data at
the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS).
Several studies suggest that consumption of a special cocoa made to be
rich in flavanols, a naturally occurring nutrient abundant in fresh cocoa,
may improve blood vessel function. Now, scientists believe the potential
blood flow benefits associated with consumption of this flavanol-rich cocoa
may extend to the brain — which could have important implications for
learning and memory.
“This research is impressive in that multiple laboratories are coming
to the same conclusion about this flavanol-rich cocoa, and the findings
give us completely new insights into how this flavanol-rich cocoa may
impact health in a variety of ways not previously known,” said symposium
organizer Harold H. Schmitz, Ph.D., chief science officer at Mars,
Incorporated, which helped sponsor today’s symposium and has supported
research on cocoa flavanols for more than 15 years. “The findings raise the
possibility that products utilizing this cocoa could be developed to help
maintain healthy brain function throughout several life stages. More
research examining the potential of this cocoa in this important area of
public health need is clearly warranted.”
During the session entitled “The Neurobiology of Chocolate: A Mind-
Altering Experience?,” a panel of scientists presented evidence from
several recent studies that demonstrated the enhanced brain blood flow
after study participants consumed a specially formulated flavanol-rich
cocoa beverage that was supplied by Mars, Incorporated. One study,
conducted by Ian A. Macdonald, PhD, from the University of Nottingham
Medical School in the United Kingdom, found that the consumption of this
cocoa resulted in regional changes in blood flow in study participants,
suggesting that cocoa flavanols may have therapeutic potential for the
treatment of vascular impairments within the brain itself.
“Our study showed that acute consumption of this particular
flavanol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased blood flow to
grey matter for 2 to 3 hours,” Macdonald said. “This raises the possibility
that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in
increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults
or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as
fatigue or sleep deprivation.”
Norman K. Hollenberg, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, presented new findings based on his ongoing work with
the Kuna Indians of Panama, who are heavy consumers of cocoa. The
indigenous population still living on the Islands near Panama consume a
type of cocoa rich in flavanols on a daily basis and experience unusually
low rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Hollenberg’s latest
findings, which are published this month in the International Journal of
Medical Sciences,(1) used death certificates to compare cause-specific
deaths of island-dwelling Kuna to those who live on mainland Panama — who
do not drink the flavanol-rich cocoa that is so prominent on the islands.
Hollenberg and colleagues found the Kuna Indians living on the islands
had significantly lower rates of heart disease and cancer compared to those
on the mainland. The relative risk of death from heart disease on the
Panama mainland was 1,280 percent higher than on the islands and death from
cancer was 630 percent higher.
In his AAAS presentation, Hollenberg suggested that the same mechanism
resulting in improved blood vessel function that he and others have
observed following consumption of Mars’ special cocoa could also be
responsible for the enhanced brain blood flow he and Professor Macdonald
have independently reported in previously published research. Specifically,
Hollenberg and others have observed that these improvements in blood vessel
function following flavanol rich cocoa consumption are paralleled by an
increase in the circulating pool of nitric oxide, a critical molecule in
the circulatory system that helps dilate blood vessels and keeps them
pliable.
Hollenberg fed flavanol-rich cocoa to healthy volunteers who were over
age 50 and observed a “striking blood flow response” that evolved over
several weeks. “Since this cocoa preparation is so well tolerated, it
raises hope that the brain blood flow response it stimulates can result in
maintenance of healthy brain function and cognition, which is an issue that
unfortunately plagues many older adults today,” Hollenberg said.
This advancement in science related to brain health is especially
exciting at a time when the nation’s 78 million baby boomers are aging. The
need to impact cognitive function and brain health will only continue to
grow with this aging population.
Additional panel members included Henriette Van Praag, PhD, of the Salk
Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, and Hagen
Schroeter, PhD, of Mars, Incorporated.
Advancements in Cocoa Science
Mars, Incorporated is leading the exploration of the full nutritional
and medical potential of cocoa’s naturally occurring flavanols. For more
than 15 years, the Mars commitment to research is evidenced by more than
100 peer-reviewed research publications on cocoa and more than 30 patents
held by Mars scientists.
To help maximize the amount of cocoa flavanols in chocolate, scientists
at Mars, Incorporated developed a patented process called Cocoapro(R) that
helps retain consistent levels of cocoa flavanols that occur naturally in
cocoa beans. Mars products that are made with the Cocoapro process include
Dove(R) Dark Chocolate and CocoaVia(R) snacks. Cocoapro cocoa is the most
studied cocoa in the world in terms of health impact.
For more information on the many research studies on cocoa flavanols,
visit http://www.cocoapro.com
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