1. Consumption of High-Polyphenol Dark Chocolate Improves Endothelial Function in Individuals with Stage 1 Hypertension and Excess Body Weight.
- Author
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de Paula Nogueira, Lívia, Paranhos Knibel, Marcela, Gonçalves Torres, Márcia Regina Simas, Nogueira Neto, José Firmino, and Felipe Sanjuliani, Antonio
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CARDIOVASCULAR disease diagnosis , *CACAO , *ACADEMIC medical centers , *BEHAVIOR modification , *BLOOD pressure measurement , *BODY weight , *DIET , *ENDOTHELIUM , *HEALTH behavior , *HOMEOSTASIS , *HYPERTENSION , *LIPOPROTEINS , *NUTRITION , *PHENOLS , *PLASTIC surgery , *DATA analysis , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *THERAPEUTICS - Abstract
Background. Hypertension and excess body weight are important risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. Recent evidence suggests that high-polyphenol dark chocolate improves endothelial function and lowers blood pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the association of chocolate 70% cocoa intake with metabolic profile, oxidative stress, inflammation, blood pressure, and endothelial function in stage 1 hypertensives with excess body weight. Methods. Intervention clinical trial includes 22 stage 1 hypertensives without previous antihypertensive treatment, aged 18 to 60 years and presents a body mass index between 25.0 and 34.9 kg/m2. All participants were instructed to consume 50 g of chocolate 70% cocoa/day (2135 mg polyphenols) for 4 weeks. Endothelial function was evaluated by peripheral artery tonometry using Endo-PAT 2000 (Itamar Medical). Results. Twenty participants (10 men) completed the study. Comparison of pre-post intervention revealed that (1) there were no significant changes in anthropometric parameters, percentage body fat, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, biomarkers of inflammation, adhesion molecules, oxidized LDL, and blood pressure; (2) the assessment of endothelial function through the reactive hyperemia index showed a significant increase: 1.94 ± 0.18 to 2.22 ± 0.08, P = 0.01. Conclusion.In individuals with stage 1 hypertension and excess body weight, highpolyphenol dark chocolate improves endothelial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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