Molecular Healing: Diabetics can Improve Circulation by Drinking Hot Cocoa
Posted Aug 24 2008 2:14pm
Dark chocolate has been in the news a lot lately because it has been associated with improvements in cardiovascular disease.
Hey the diet for both diabetics and cardiovascular disease is getting better all the time. Now not only may diabetics sit down and enjoy a nice hot cup of hot cocoa, but it may actually improve circulation.
The key is the good ole plant flavanols. These healthy molecular healers are found in cocoa. New research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that having a cup of flavanol enriched hot cocoa can cause blood vessel function to go from severely impaired to normal.
The researchers tested diabetics and found the results to be similar to exercise and diabetic medications. They tested 2 groups of subjects. One group drank cocoa with varying amounts of flavanol on 3 separate days. The other group was tested for long term effects by drinking cocoa with either 321 mg of flavanol or 25 mg taken 3 times per day for 30 days.
The results indicated significant improvement in blood vessel function with the high flavanol group. The low flavanol group showed no improvement.
This research shows great promise in designing functional foods for people with diabetes and artery disease. Keep in mind that just any old chocolate will not do, you must find dark chocolate with a high flavanol content.
Peace and Healing,
Join our free site for more on healing, alternative medicine, holistic health and wellness.
Hey the diet for both diabetics and cardiovascular disease is getting better all the time. Now not only may diabetics sit down and enjoy a nice hot cup of hot cocoa, but it may actually improve circulation.
The key is the good ole plant flavanols. These healthy molecular healers are found in cocoa. New research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that having a cup of flavanol enriched hot cocoa can cause blood vessel function to go from severely impaired to normal.
The researchers tested diabetics and found the results to be similar to exercise and diabetic medications. They tested 2 groups of subjects. One group drank cocoa with varying amounts of flavanol on 3 separate days. The other group was tested for long term effects by drinking cocoa with either 321 mg of flavanol or 25 mg taken 3 times per day for 30 days.
The results indicated significant improvement in blood vessel function with the high flavanol group. The low flavanol group showed no improvement.
This research shows great promise in designing functional foods for people with diabetes and artery disease. Keep in mind that just any old chocolate will not do, you must find dark chocolate with a high flavanol content.
Peace and Healing,
Join our free site for more on healing, alternative medicine, holistic health and wellness.
www.informationalhealing.com
Reference:
American College of Cardiology (2008, May 28). Cocoa Could Be A Healthy Treat For Diabetic Patients.