Journal of the American Society of Hypertension
Volume 3, Issue 2 , Pages 105-112, March 2009

Flavanols, the Kuna, cocoa consumption, and nitric oxide

  • Norman K. Hollenberg, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Norman K. Hollenberg, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115. Tel: 617-732-6682; fax: 617- 232-2869.
    • ,
  • Naomi D.L. Fisher, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Marjorie L. McCullough, ScD, RD

      Affiliations

    • Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Received 3 September 2008; accepted 12 November 2008. published online 23 February 2009.

Abstract 

The Kuna Indians, who reside in an archipelago on the Caribbean Coast of Panama, have very low blood pressure (BP) levels, live longer than other Panamanians, and have a reduced frequency of myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and cancer—at least on their death certificates. One outstanding feature of their diet includes a very high intake of flavanol-rich cocoa. Flavonoids in cocoa activate nitric oxide synthesis in healthy humans. The possibility that the high flavanol intake protects the Kuna against high BP, ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and cancer is sufficiently intriguing and sufficiently important that large, randomized controlled clinical trials should be pursued.

Keywords: Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular health, chocolate

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 This study was supported by Grants from M&M Mars, Inc.

 Conflict of interest: none.

PII: S1933-1711(08)00216-7

doi:10.1016/j.jash.2008.11.001

Journal of the American Society of Hypertension
Volume 3, Issue 2 , Pages 105-112, March 2009

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