Cocoa & Chocolate: Ancient Remedy to Modern Science

Chocolate is a food as rich in history as it is in taste. Packed with polyphenolic compounds, cocoa has been used by indigenous peoples to improve health for thousands of years. Ancient societies revered the cocoa bean for its sustaining and health-affirming qualities. In all, more than 100 medicinal uses of cacao are listed throughout ancient codices. Specific benefits noted in these documents include alleviating 'faint of heart,' reducing angina, generating blood, relieving heart palpitations, strengthening the heart and even prolonging life.

With the advent of modern chemical analytical technology, more than 730 compounds have been identified as being naturally present in cocoa beans. The compounds receiving the most attention today are the polyphenols-a large class of molecules that includes numerous subcategories. One such subcategory are flavonoids. Cocoa is a concentrated natural source of one type of flavanoid, called flavanols.

In the past few years, over 250 original research papers have been published regarding the cardiovascular beneficial effects of consuming natural cocoa products rich in flavanols on cardiovascular disease risk, including numerous meta-analyses. These meta-analyses reach similar conclusions that consumption of dark chocolate or cocoa is associated with health benefits in the form of reduced CVD risk. Specifically, the evidence supports that consumption of cocoa flavanols is associated with cardiovascular benefits such as: 1) improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation and endothelial function, 2) improved insulin sensitivity, 3) improved blood lipis, and 4) decreased blood pressure.

This presentation will review the history and modern science of cocoa and its bioactive compounds on cardiovascular.