More Good News About Cocoa

In a very small but intricate study, involving only five subjects, researchers at the University of California San Diego saw significant improvements in muscle cell function after three months consuming epicatechin-enriched cocoa. Epicatechin is a flavonoid found naturally in dark chocolate.The improvements were noted in muscle cell mitochondria, structures responsible for energy production which are often rendered dysfunctional by type 2 diabetes or heart failure. The five subjects, all profoundly ill with major damage to skeletal muscle mitochondria, consumed dark chocolate bars and a beverage with a total epicatechin content of about 100 milligrams per day.Muscle biopsies from before and after the three month study showed recovery of mitrochondrial capacity and indicators involved in new mitochondria production.In a very small but intricate study, involving only five subjects, researchers at the University of California San Diego saw significant improvements in muscle cell function after three months consuming epicatechin-enriched cocoa. Epicatechin is a flavonoid found naturally in dark chocolate.The improvements were noted in muscle cell mitochondria, structures responsible for energy production which are often rendered dysfunctional by type 2 diabetes or heart failure. The five subjects, all profoundly ill with major damage to skeletal muscle mitochondria, consumed dark chocolate bars and a beverage with a total epicatechin content of about 100 milligrams per day.Muscle biopsies from before and after the three month study showed recovery of mitrochondrial capacity and indicators involved in new mitochondria production.