Cocoa May Improve Heart Muscle Function, According To New Study

Cocoa May Improve Heart Muscle Function, According To New Study

According to a new clinical trial conducted by scientists from UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System, administration of epicatechin-enriched cocoa for a period of three months, a flavonoid substance that is normally found in dark chocolate, may enhance the structure of mitochondria found in muscle cells of patients with advanced forms of heart failure and type 2 diabetes.  The study was published in the journal Clinical and Translational Science.

The initial findings have important clinical applications because an improved structure of mitochondria, which is the most important energetic structure of the cell, determines a better function of skeletal muscles, improving this way exercise tolerance and physical capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure. These results also led to the implementation of a placebo-control clinical trial in order to evaluate if patients with this diseases present an increased  physical capacity when treated with epicatechin.

Mitochondria represent cellular components that are responsible for providing cells the needed energy for methabolic purposes. Type 2 diabetes and heart failure are conditions that destroy the structural architecture of mitochondria leading to a loss of energy substrate in cells with a high metabolic rate, like muscle cells. This is the reason why patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes present an impairment of both heart and skeletal muscle, leading to symptoms like dyspnoea, difficulty in walking, muscular fatigue and lack of energy.

Cacao

Subjects that participated in this clinical trial were asked to consume dark chocolate and beverages that provided a daily intake of epicatechin-enriched coca of 100 mg. Before and after beginning this diet, skeletal muscle biopsies were performed.  It was observed that after a three month diet with epicatechin the volume of muscular mitochondria has changed based on mitochondrial cristae (internal foldings of mitochondria that ensure a good function of these organelles) and became more abundant. Mitochondrial cristae were evaluated using electron microscopy.

“The cristae had been severely damaged and decreased in quantity in these patients. After three months, we saw recovery “ cristae numbers back toward normal levels, and increases in several molecular indicators involved in new mitochondria production.”, said researcher team leader.

The study was performed on animal models and due to the very promising results, researchers inferred that they could obtain similar results on human models, fact that has been successfully confirmed.