New findings indicate that cocoa flavanols, the bitter antioxidants in cocoa beans, may be an important part of a healthy diet for people with cardiovascular disease, according to research by a team of researchers, including scientists from Mars.

The study examined cells called CACs, circulating angiogenic cells, which are involved in the maintenance and repair of blood vessels. Researchers found that daily consumption of cocoa flavanols, in particular Mars' patented Cocoapro product, more than doubled the number of CACs in the blood.

Poor blood vessel function is recognized as an early stage in the development process of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary artery disease.

Increased levels of CACs have also been associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular causes, according to a 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Other research suggests that physical activity and drugs can increase CAC levels, but the new study is the first to offer the possibility of a dietary intervention.

The breakthrough study, published in the prestigious Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), used a randomised double-blind model. Participants drank either a high-flavanol cocoa drink, containing cocoa made with the Mars Cocoapro® process (which guarantees a consistent flavanol level), or a low-flavanol nutrient-matched control cocoa drink, twice a day for 30 days.

“It’s the best of both worlds. It’s not often that we’re able to identify a natural food compound that can demonstrate a benefit on top of traditional medical treatment,” said Carl Keen, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at University of California-Davis and one of the study authors. “And perhaps most importantly, for the first time, we found that cocoa flavanols might even directly mobilize important cells that could repair damaged blood vessels. The benefits are substantial, without any observed adverse effects,” added study author Christian Heiss, MD, Dr med, Heinrich-Heine University.

“Together with academic partners, Mars Incorporated has been studying cocoa flavanols for nearly two decades,” said Hagen Schroeter, PhD, Mars, Incorporated scientist and study author. “This is one of the most fascinating and potentially far-reaching findings we’ve uncovered in recent years, opening a completely new avenue of research to understand how cocoa flavanols might benefit human health. Of course, more research is needed to confirm and build upon these observations, but we’re intrigued by the potential for flavanols in the context of dietary and pharmaceutical strategies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.”

The study also showed that drinking high-flavanol cocoa significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and improved blood vessel function by 47% compared to low-flavanol consumption in optimally-medicated adults with severe cardiovascular disease. This research supports findings previously published by Mars scientists and their academic collaborators, who have found a positive correlation between cocoa flavanols consumed and subsequent improvements in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of vessel health - the ability of a vessel to relax.