| Did you know that cocoa flavanols have been shown to markedly increase circulating stem cells? Stem cells are the body’s raw materials – cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. William W. Li MD writes in his book “Eat to Beat Disease,” “Your immune cells are regenerated every seven days, so if your stem cells disappeared, you’d likely die of an infection soon after.” At the University of California, researchers explored whether a chocolate drink made with cocoa containing high levels of flavanols (750mg daily) could influence stem cells and blood vessel health in adults with coronary artery disease. Participants who drank the high-flavanol beverage had twice as many circulating stem cells compared to those who drank the low- flavanol cocoa at the end of the 30-day trial. The high flavanol group also showed a major improvement in endothelial function, as measured by a 47% increase in flow mediated vasodilation (artery flexibility) relative to the low flavanol group. You can read the full study here. Just a few more reasons to enjoy your daily cocoa flavanols! |
