(HealthCentersOnline) - Regularly eating natural cocoa may be an effective way to improve the blood vessel health of older adults, a recent study shows.
Flavonols are natural compounds found in cocoa that medical researchers believe may be linked to circulatory benefits. The medical community is particularly interested in the possibility that flavonols offer improved blood flow and a decreased risk of blood clot formation.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently concluded a study that suggests that regularly consuming cocoa that contains flavonols may improve some blood vessel functions.
As part of the study, the researchers evaluated 15 healthy adults under age 50 and 19 healthy adults over the age of 50. Each of the participants consumed a specially-made, flavonol-rich cocoa beverage daily for four to six days. During this period the researchers tracked any changes that occurred in the participants' peripheral arteries.
The study showed that the blood vessel function of both the young and older participants improved after consuming flavonol. However, the vessels of the older participants improved more dramatically than those of the younger patients.
While previous studies have suggested that younger adults can benefit from flavonol, this is the first study to show that older adults, too, can benefit from the substance. This is important because older adults are generally more likely to suffer from age-related loss of blood vessel function than younger adults.
The researchers note that the cocoa flavonols appear to be influencing the body's production of nitric oxide, which is an important regulator of blood vessel tone.
Health
"Aging is typically associated with deterioration in vessel health, specifically related to function of the critical inner lining, or endothelium," co-author Dr. Naomi Fisher, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explained in a recent press release. "Our findings demonstrate that consumption of this flavonol-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. These findings have great potential to impact the health of our aging population."
The results of the study are to be published in the August issue of the Journal of Hypertension.
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