Several studies this year examined the impact of flavanol enriched dark chocolate, like the Xocai chocolate mentioned in the New York Times, ingestion in adults with hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance. The study by the researchers at Tufts University and the University of L’Aquila, used 1008 mg of a flavonoid rich cacao product which was divided into 3 daily doses, (the suggested quantity and frequency for therapeutic treatment). This study was compared to one performed at the same time with a flavonoid-free cacao product. They found that the flavanols increased the bio-availability of nitric oxide, and decreased the formation of oxygen and nitrogen free radicals. They also found that the flavanols and resveratrol inhibit IкB kinase, and down regulate nuclear factor-кB (an oxidation pathway which causes blood vessel damage and increases fat-induced insulin resistance).
Researchers found, as others have, that the flavanol-rich cacao improved the dilation abilities of the blood vessels and reversed the dysfunction of the blood vessels of the pre-diabetics, as well as in smokers. In conclusion, the high-dose flavanol cacao improves insulin sensitivity, increases Β-cell function (the cells which produce insulin), decreases blood pressure and increases the flexibility of the blood vessel walls.
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