Cocoa Compounds May Promote Healthy Cholesterol Profile

Rich in polyphenols and flavanols (catechins), and particularly the monomeric flavanol (-)epicatechin, cocoa has received increasing attention as a potential nutritional intervention to promote cardiovascular health. N. Khan, from the University of Barcelona (Spain), and colleagues enrolled 42 subjects, mean age of 70 years, and asked each subject to consume 500 mL of skimmed milk/day, either with or without 40 grams of cocoa powder, for 4 weeks. The 40 grams of cocoa powder provided 495.2 milligrams of polyphenols and 425.7 milligrams of proanthocyanidins. At the end of the study the researchers found that milk plus cocoa was associated with a 5% increase in HDL cholesterol levels, as compared to only milk.  In addition, cocoa plus milk was associated with a 14% reduction in oxidized LDL cholesterol levels, as compared to milk only. Noting that the polyphenols in cocoa may bind to LDL particles and therefore prevent them from being oxidized, the team concludes that: “Consumption of cocoa power ….  modulates the lipid profile in high-risk subjects for [coronary heart disease] … suggests a beneficial role for cocoa polyphenols in lipid metabolism.”