HOT COCOA IS GOOD FOR DIABETICS

We wrote about the good effects of cocoa, and dark chocolates before. The flavanoids in dark chocolates and cocoa and also in some types of veges, some types of teas, red wine and some types of fruits, seem to have good CVS effects, including lowering oxidised LDL-cholesterol, reduces platelet aggregation, lowering BP, reducing insulin resistance, and causing vasodilatation. So far there is little evidence in diabetics. Well, the latest issue ( June 3rd ) of JACC contain a study by the German researchers led by Dr Balzer. They studied 44 diabetics, 22 given a big mug of hot cocoa daily and the other 22 act as control. They studied the effects of cocoa on forearm "flow mediated vasodilatation". They used "flow mediated vasodilatation as a measure of endothelial function. From their study, they concluded that a big mug of hot cocoa a day, improved endothelial function acutely and also chronically, in diabetics. Although they did not look further, we can assume that these good effects of cocoa, must be due to its ability to increase NOS production and that the improvement in endothelial function is due to a increase in NO activity at the endothelial level. So a large cuppa of cocoa a day, in diabetics, may keep the cardiologist away. I wonder if we will see the production of "cocoa "pills?