AJCN Cancer Health Disparities Conference
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wan, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Kris-Etherton, P. M
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Wan, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Kris-Etherton, P. M
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Wan, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Kris-Etherton, P. M
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 74, No. 5, 596-602, November 2001
© 2001 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

Original Research Communication

Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans1,2,3

Ying Wan, Joe A Vinson, Terry D Etherton, John Proch, Sheryl A Lazarus and Penny M Kris-Etherton

From the Graduate Program in Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; the Department of Chemistry, the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA; and the Analytical and Applied Sciences Group, Mars Incorporated, Hackettstown, NJ.

Background: Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds of plant origin with antioxidant effects. Flavonoids inhibit LDL oxidation and reduce thrombotic tendency in vitro. Little is known about how cocoa powder and dark chocolate, rich sources of polyphenols, affect these cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Objective: We evaluated the effects of a diet high in cocoa powder and dark chocolate (CP-DC diet) on LDL oxidative susceptibility, serum total antioxidant capacity, and urinary prostaglandin concentrations.

Design: We conducted a randomized, 2-period, crossover study in 23 healthy subjects fed 2 diets: an average American diet (AAD) controlled for fiber, caffeine, and theobromine and an AAD supplemented with 22 g cocoa powder and 16 g dark chocolate (CP-DC diet), providing {approx}466 mg procyanidins/d.

Results: LDL oxidation lag time was {approx}8% greater (P = 0.01) after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD. Serum total antioxidant capacity measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity was {approx}4% greater (P = 0.04) after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD and was positively correlated with LDL oxidation lag time (r = 0.32, P = 0.03). HDL cholesterol was 4% greater after the CP-DC diet (P = 0.02) than after the AAD; however, LDL-HDL ratios were not significantly different. Twenty-four–hour urinary excretion of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1{alpha} and the ratio of the 2 compounds were not significantly different between the 2 diets.

Conclusion: Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may favorably affect cardiovascular disease risk status by modestly reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility, increasing serum total antioxidant capacity and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and not adversely affecting prostaglandins.

Key Words: Cocoa powder • dark chocolate • LDL oxidation • oxygen radical absorbance capacity • prostaglandins • flavonoids • procyanidins • polyphenols • catechins






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2001 by The American Society for Nutrition