Researchers link cocoa flavanols to improved brain blood flow

August 18, 2008

Cocoa flavanols, the unique compounds found naturally in cocoa, may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal. The researchers suggest that long-term improvements in brain blood flow could impact cognitive behavior, offering future potential for debilitating brain conditions including dementia and stroke.

In a scientific study of healthy, older adults ages 59 to 83, Harvard medical scientists found that study participants who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage made using the Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro® process had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks.

In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found both short and long-term benefits of cocoa flavanols for brain blood flow, offering future potential for the one in seven older Americans currently living with dementia. When the flow of blood to the brain slows over time, the result may be structural damage and dementia. Scientists speculate that maintaining an increased blood flow to the brain could slow this cognitive decline.

"The totality of the research on cocoa flavanols is impressive. This is just one more study adding to an increasing body of literature connecting regular cocoa flavanol consumption to blood flow and vascular health improvements throughout the body," said Harold Schmitz, Ph.D., chief science officer at Mars, Incorporated, which has supported research on cocoa flavanols for more than 15 years. "Though more research is needed, these findings raise the possibility that flavanol-rich cocoa products could be developed to help slow brain decline in older age."

The Body of Evidence
Contrary to statements often made in the popular media, the collective research demonstrates that the vascular effects of cocoa flavanols are independent of general "antioxidant" effects that cocoa flavanols exhibit in a test tube, outside of the body. While research aimed at studying the potential role of cocoa flavanols in the context of blood vessel and circulatory function continues, a number of previously published studies already suggest that the consumption of cocoa flavanols can have important beneficial effects on the function of the body's network of blood vessels. The body of research not only suggests that cocoa flavanols may provide a dietary approach to maintaining cardiovascular function and health, but also points at new possibilities for cocoa flavanol-based interventions for vascular complications associated with cognitive performance, skin health and age-related blood vessel dysfunction.

Future Cocoa Flavanol Research Directions
For more than 15 years, Mars, Incorporated has conducted and/or supported a significant portion of the research undertaken in the field of cocoa flavanols and reported new insights in peer-reviewed scientific literature. Working in collaboration with top research institutions around the world, Mars, Incorporated continues to lead the way in exploring the nutritional and medical potential of cocoa flavanols. Mars' commitment to rigorous scientific research of cocoa and flavanols is evidenced by more than 100 peer-reviewed research publications and more than 80 patents held by the company. Mars also developed and patented the breakthrough process called Cocoapro® that helps retain more of the naturally occurring flavanols in cocoa. The high-flavanol cocoa powders made using the Mars Cocoapro® process are thoroughly characterized in terms of nutrient content, as well as standardized with respect to flavanol level and flavanol profile. Through the newly created Mars Botanical division, Mars will continue to develop and apply industry-leading analytical techniques and standards to further investigate the biomedical potential of cocoa flavanols. For more information on the many research studies on cocoa flavanols, visit www.healthycocoa.com.

Source: Sorond FA, Lipsitz LA, Hollenberg NK, Fisher NDL. Cerebral blood flow response to flavanol-rich cocoa in healthy elderly humans. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2008;4:433-440.

Weber Shandwick Worldwide

---

---

	Formation of new anthocyanin-alkyl/aryl-flavanol pigments in model solutions [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta] by J. Pissarra (Author), S. Lourenco (Author), A.M. Gonzalez-Paramas (Author), M (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Analytica Chimica Acta, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: The contribution of the aldehyde composition of wine spirit to the colorimetric changes in red Port wine was studied in model solutions by HPLC-diode array detection (DAD) and liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS). The reaction between anthocyanins, catechin and the several aldehydes was tested with dimers B4 and B2-3'-O-gallate, two of most abundant procyanidins dimers present in young Port wines. Both dimers reacted with oenin (malvidin-3-glycoside, mv3gl) mediated by several aldehydes (such as...
	Demonstration of the occurrence of flavanol-anthocyanin adducts in wine and in model solutions [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta] by E. Salas (Author), V. Atanasova (Author), C. Poncet-Legrand (Author), Meudec (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Analytica Chimica Acta, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: Flavanol-anthocyanin (F-A^+) adducts were detected in red wine. A mechanism involving acid-catalysed cleavage of flavanol oligomers followed by nucleophilic addition of the anthocyanin moiety (in its hemiketal form) to the resulting carbocation (F^+) was postulated. To confirm this mechanism, reactions between malvidin 3-O-glucoside (Mv3glc) and procyanidin dimer epicatechin-(4-8)-epicatechin 3-O-gallate (B2-3'OG) were studied in a model solution system at pH 2. A new pigment with a UV-Vis spectrum similar to...
	Formation of anthocyanin-flavanol adducts in model solutions [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta] by M. Duenas (Author), H. Fulcrand (Author), V. Cheynier (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Analytica Chimica Acta, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: The mechanism of direct reactions between malvidin 3-O-glucoside (Mv3glc) and a flavanol monomer, (-)-epicatechin, was studied in model solutions in the pH range 2.0-6.0. The direct reactions are strongly related to pH. The rate of Mv3glc and epicatechin disappearance increased with pH. Nucleophilic addition of epicatechin onto the flavylium form of Mv3glc took place at all pH values. At pH 2.0, the resulting intermediate flavene yielded a colourless Mv3glc-epicatechin adduct with an A-type linkage. In the range pH...
	A bas les flavones, flavanols et flavanones, les hydroxycinnamates, hydroxybenzoates et carotenoides.(hype surrounding antioxidents ): An article from: Canadian Chemical News by Ariel E. Fenster (Author) This digital document is an article from Canadian Chemical News, published by Chemical Institute of Canada on September 1, 2008. The length of the article is 1224 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: A bas les flavones, flavanols et flavanones, les hydroxycinnamates, hydroxybenzoates et carotenoides.(hype surrounding antioxidents ) Author: Ariel E. Fenster Publication: Canadian Chemical News (Magazine/Journal) Date: September 1, 2008 Publisher: Chemical Institute of Canada Volume: 60 Issue: 8 Page: 26(2) Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage...
	Getting ahead of the curve: cocoa flavanols.(Industry News): An article from: Nutraceuticals World by Elizabeth A. Sloan (Author) This digital document is an article from Nutraceuticals World, published by Rodman Publishing on March 1, 2012. The length of the article is 1270 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Getting ahead of the curve: cocoa flavanols.(Industry News) Author: Elizabeth A. Sloan Publication: Nutraceuticals World (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 2012 Publisher: Rodman Publishing Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Page: 16(2) Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage...
	Nitrite and Nitrate in Human Health and Disease (Nutrition and Health) by Nathan S. Bryan (Editor), Joseph Loscalzo (Editor) Nitrite and Nitrate in Human Health and Disease delivers a comprehensive review of nitrite and nitrate biology, from basic biochemistry to the complex physiology and metabolism of these two naturally occurring molecules in the human body.  Well-organized and well referenced chapters cover the rich history of nitrite and nitrate, sources of exposure, and the physiological effects when consumed through foods containing nitrite and nitrate.  The chapters are written by leading experts, all of whom share their research and perspectives in order to help define the context for benefits vs. any potential risks associated with nitrite and nitrate use, either through dietary ingestion or therapeutic dosing.  This diverse collection of authors includes vascular biologists, physiologists,...
	Flavonoïde: Anthocyanidine, Aurone, Flavanol, Flavanone, Flavone, Flavonol, Flavonolignane, Isoflavone, Proanthocyanidine, Tanin, Tanin condensé, ... Lutéoline, Wogonine (French Edition) by Source: Wikipedia (Author) Ce contenu est une compilation d'articles de l'encyclopédie libre Wikipedia. Pages: 33. Non illustré. Chapitres: Anthocyanidine, Aurone, Flavanol, Flavanone, Flavone, Flavonol, Flavonolignane, Isoflavone, Proanthocyanidine, Tanin, Tanin condensé, Flavan-3-ol, Rutoside, Quercétine, Génistéine, Hespéridine, Chrysine, Catéchine, Lutéoline, Wogonine, Kaempférol, Tangeritine, Acide tannique, Homoeriodictyol, Techtochrysine, Tricine, Eupatiline, Fisétine, Naringine, Lutéolinidine, Diosmine, Delphinidine, Oroxyline A, Pélargonidine, Aurantinidine, Baicaléine, Nobilétine, Diosmétine, Vitexine, Azaléatine, Chrysoériol, Orientine, Apigénine, Genkwanine, Sinensétine, Myricétine, Oroxindine, Acacétine, Gallocatéchol, Scutellarine, Baicaline, Poncirine, Eupatorine, Morine,...
	Taste and mouth-feel properties of different types of tannin-like polyphenolic compounds and anthocyanins in wine [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta] by S. Vidal (Author), L. Francis (Author), A. Noble (Author), M. Kwiatkowski (Author), Ch (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Analytica Chimica Acta, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: The taste and mouth-feel properties of three different types of tannin-like polyphenolic compounds, representative of some of the tannin-like polyphenolic compounds found in red wines, were determined using descriptive sensory analysis. Ethyl-bridged flavanols were produced by reaction of (+)-catechin with acetaldehyde under acidic conditions. Red coloured tannin-like polyphenolic compounds from wine and from wine pomace were isolated by multi layer coil counter-current chromatography (MLCCC). Mouth-feel...
	Changes in the detailed pigment composition of red wine during maturity and ageing [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta] by C. Alcalde-Eon (Author), M.T. Escribano-Bailon (Author), Santos-Buel (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Analytica Chimica Acta, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: The qualitative and quantitative changes produced, during maturation and ageing, in the pigment composition of a red wine made from Vitis vinifera cv Tempranillo grapes have been studied. In order to determine the detailed composition of the main pigment families involved in the colour changes, a fractionation of the samples has been carried out. One-hundred and twenty-nine different compounds have been identified and their evolutions with wine age have also been established. The data obtained in the analyses of...
	100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's and Age-Related Memory Loss by Jean Carper (Author) Most people think there is little or nothing you can do to avoid Alzheimer's. But scientists know this is no longer true. In fact, prominent researchers now say that our best and perhaps only hope of defeating Alzheimer's is to prevent it. After best-selling author Jean Carper discovered that she had the major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's, she was determined to find all the latest scientific evidence on how to escape it. She discovered 100 surprisingly simple scientifically tested ways to radically cut the odds of Alzheimer's, memory decline, and other forms of dementia. Did you know that vitamin B 12 helps keep your brain from shrinking? Apple juice mimics a common Alzheimer's drug? Surfing the internet strengthens aging brain cells? Ordinary infections and a...