Chocolate: (un)healthy source of polyphenols?

Rimbach, Gerald; Egert, Sarah; Pascual‐Teresa, Sonia de

doi:10.1007/s12263-010-0185-7

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…Low maximum concentration (C max ), a short half-life, extensive metabolic conjugation and rapid excretion, all add up to relatively low cocoa polyphenol bioavailability, compromising their relevance for health effects and bioactivities reported in in vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies [147]. On the other hand, there are data showing that sustained chronic consumption of cocoa products can lead to a relatively low but significant accumulation of cocoa polyphenols in human plasma [148], sufficient to exert some health-relevant bioactivity.…”

Section: Bioavailability Of Cocoa Polyphenolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although in the majority of the intervention studies the doses of cocoa products were close to high rather than average in habitual consumption, systemically circulating (plasmatic) concentrations of cocoa flavanols were reported to be relatively low—from nano- to micro-molar range for epicatechin and not always detected nano-molar concentrations for procyanidins [ 95 , 98 , 100 , 146 ]. Low maximum concentration (C max ), a short half-life, extensive metabolic conjugation and rapid excretion, all add up to relatively low cocoa polyphenol bioavailability, compromising their relevance for health effects and bioactivities reported in in vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies [ 147 ]. On the other hand, there are data showing that sustained chronic consumption of cocoa products can lead to a relatively low but significant accumulation of cocoa polyphenols in human plasma [ 148 ], sufficient to exert some health-relevant bioactivity.…”

Section: Bioavailability Of Cocoa Polyphenolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cocoa Polyphenols and Inflammatory Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

et al. 2014

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Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of plant-derived food intake in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The potential bioactivity of cocoa and its polyphenolic components in modulating cardiovascular health is now being studied worldwide and continues to grow at a rapid pace. In fact, the high polyphenol content of cocoa is of particular interest from the nutritional and pharmacological viewpoints. Cocoa polyphenols are shown to possess a range of cardiovascular-protective properties, and can play a meaningful role through modulating different inflammatory markers involved in atherosclerosis. Accumulated evidence on related anti-inflammatory effects of cocoa polyphenols is summarized in the present review.

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Section: Bioavailability Of Cocoa Polyphenolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Bioavailability Of Cocoa Polyphenolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cocoa Polyphenols and Inflammatory Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

et al. 2014

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“…They share a common chromanol ring with the tocopherols having a saturated phytyl side chain, differing from the farnesyl side chain with three double bonds in the tocotrienols. Each group has α-, β-, γ- and δ-homologues [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tocotrienols Reverse Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Liver Changes in High Carbohydrate, High Fat Diet-Fed Rats

et al. 2012

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Tocotrienols have been reported to improve lipid profiles, reduce atherosclerotic lesions, decrease blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin concentrations, normalise blood pressure in vivo and inhibit adipogenesis in vitro, yet their role in the metabolic syndrome has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) on high carbohydrate, high fat diet-induced metabolic, cardiovascular and liver dysfunction in rats. Rats fed a high carbohydrate, high fat diet for 16 weeks developed abdominal obesity, hypertension, impaired glucose and insulin tolerance with increased ventricular stiffness, lower systolic function and reduced liver function. TRF treatment improved ventricular function, attenuated cardiac stiffness and hypertension, and improved glucose and insulin tolerance, with reduced left ventricular collagen deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration. TRF improved liver structure and function with reduced plasma liver enzymes, inflammatory cell infiltration, fat vacuoles and balloon hepatocytes. TRF reduced plasma free fatty acid and triglyceride concentrations but only omental fat deposition was decreased in the abdomen. These results suggest that tocotrienols protect the heart and liver, and improve plasma glucose and lipid profiles with minimal changes in abdominal obesity in this model of human metabolic syndrome.

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“…It is not known why cocoa butter should be non-atherogenic, but it has been proposed this is due to its complex chemical structure: almost all of the stearic acid in cocoa butter is present as symmetrical triacylglycerol, a structural feature which slows down its intestinal absorption, thereby reducing the dyslipidemic effects. It has also been proposed that there is a relatively high in vivo transformation of stearic acid to mono-saturated oleic acid, which is considered hypocholesterolaemic and cardioprotective [88]. Given that the vast majority of studies show stearic acid has beneficial or neutral effects on BP, and does not adversely affect established traditional lipid risk factors, it appears unlikely that it would adversely affect CVD risk [66].…”

Section: Effects On Blood Lipids and Body Weightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cacao as a Globalised Functional Food: Review on Cardiovascular Effects of Chocolate Consumption

Valussi¹,

Minto²

2016

TOASJ

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Polyphenols have increasingly been studied for their influence on cardiometabolic health. Since cacao and chocolate can be a rich source of polyphenols, they too have been investigated for their supposed health benefits. In the first part of this paper the history of the food and medicinal uses of the cacao plant was briefly examined. A particular emphasis has been placed on the analysis of the process of transformation of the cacao seed into chocolate, since many of the processing steps involved have important consequences on the final product’s content in polyphenols and flavanols, and hence on the purported beneficial activity of chocolate. This evaluation is also of great importance in interpreting the results of the epidemiological and clinical studies. The relevant literature was surveyed in the second part of the paper, and the results for the consumption of polyphenol-rich chocolate are that it is well correlated to a reduction of the overall cardiovascular risk, and of arterial blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. Less corroborated are the positive effects on vascular endothelial health, on blood lipids and on lipid peroxidation. There are also preliminary but promising results for a positive action on insulin sensitivity, platelet function and inflammation. It remains to be seen whether and how these results can be translated into pragmatic guidelines on the health benefits of the consumption of commercial chocolate bars or products.

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Chocolate: (un)healthy source of polyphenols?

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

Cocoa Polyphenols and Inflammatory Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

Cocoa Polyphenols and Inflammatory Markers of Cardiovascular Disease

Tocotrienols Reverse Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Liver Changes in High Carbohydrate, High Fat Diet-Fed Rats

Cacao as a Globalised Functional Food: Review on Cardiovascular Effects of Chocolate Consumption

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