P57 POLYPHENOLS IN COCOA-RICH CHOCOLATE IMPROVE VASCULAR FUNCTION, THE VENTRICLE–ARTERIAL COUPLING AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG AND HEALTHY ADULTS

DOI

10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.110How to use a DOI?

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate and explore the benefits of dark chocolate in young healthy adults.

Methods: Randomized study in 30 healthy participants aged 18 to 27 years. Half of the participants ingested a 20 g dose of low cocoa chocolate (LCC:∼55%; 12,61 ± 1,35 mg equivalent of epichatequin/g) and the others ingested a daily dose of 20 g of high cocoa chocolate (HCC:∼90%; 18,19 ± 2,64 mg equivalent of epichatequin/g). A baseline evaluation was performed before the participants started ingesting the assigned chocolate for a 30 days period, after which a final evaluation was performed. Each evaluation included heart ultrasonography, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and carotid pulse wave analysis (PWA), flow mediated slowing (FMS), an analysis of the ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC), cognitive testing and functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIR) of the pre-frontal cortex.

Results: A statistically significant improvement was depicted over the brachial and central systolic and pulse pressures in the HCC group, and a trend for improvement in the AiX and the FMS was also observed in the HCC. The VAC parameters showed a significant improvement in the HCC group after intervention, increasing from 0.674 to 0.719 (p=0.004). Improvement in the memory scores (speed and accuracy) was observed in both groups, with a larger improvement in the HCC group, and related with an improvement in the pre-frontal cortex perfusion.

Conclusions: The intake of cocoa-rich chocolate improves vascular function and cognitive performance in healthy young adults, by reducing blood pressure, promoting vascular dilation, and improving brain perfusion over the prefrontal cortex.

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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Telmo Pereira
AU  - Jacqueline Bergqvist
AU  - Bente Sveälv
AU  - Joaquim Castanheira
AU  - Jorge Conde
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/12/04
TI  - P57 POLYPHENOLS IN COCOA-RICH CHOCOLATE IMPROVE VASCULAR FUNCTION, THE VENTRICLE–ARTERIAL COUPLING AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG AND HEALTHY ADULTS
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 95
EP  - 95
VL  - 24
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.110
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.110
ID  - Pereira2018
ER  -