In a recent
study conducted by Penn State researchers, mice models were used to examine the
effects of cocoa on obesity-related inflammation. Cocoa, unlike chocolate, is
low in fat and sugar. It also contains polyphenolic compounds, like green tea
and wine. In their study the control group of mice was fed a high fat diet,
while the experimental group was fed a cocoa supplement in addition to the high
fat diet. The mice ate an equivalent of 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder during a
10 week period, which is 4-5 cups of hot cocoa.
The researchers
found that the mice with the cocoa supplement diet had 27% lower plasma insulin
levels than those that did not have the cocoa supplement. Additionally, the
levels of triglycerides in the liver were reduced by more than 32%. The mice
with the cocoa supplement even saw a slight, but significant, decrease in the
rate of weight gain.
The researchers proposed
two theories about obesity related inflammation and the effect of cocoa. One
theory is that excess fat may activate a distress signal that activates immune
cells causing inflammation. Therefore, cocoa may reduce the precursors that
stimulate this distress signal. A second theory is that the high fat diet interferes
with the body’s ability to keep endotoxins from entering the bloodstream
through gaps between cells and that cocoa may improve the barrier function of
the gut.
I found this
article on Science Daily and Penn State’s News website but, I was unable to
find the journal article itself. While the results of this study are
impressive, I think this study could easily be translated to humans to
determine if cocoa has anti-inflammatory affects in humans and how much is needed to produce these results. This would be extremely
beneficial as cocoa supplements could aid obese individuals in controlling diseases
like diabetes. I also think that this would be an inexpensive method of
fighting obesity-related inflammation.
Sources:
Penn State
(2013, June 12). Cocoa may help fight obesity-related inflammation. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2013/06/130612133134.htm
This is a very interesting study. It would be everyone’s wish to be able consume cocoa to help them lose weight and to decrease inflammation in their body! I think one of the main reasons that the results in the study were positive was because of the antioxidant properties of cocoa. As we talked about in class, antioxidants are great anti-inflammatory agents. Cocoa, like many other antioxidants, has the ability to help the body in more ways than just anti-inflammatory effects; it helps lower plasma insulin levels and reduced liver triglycerides, as mentioned in the study.
ReplyDeleteA cup of hot cocoa could help fight obesity-related inflammation such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Sounds ideal on a cold winter night. The results in this experiment performed by Penn State researches are very impressive, and it is useful to know that cocoa had positive results on mice that were fed a high fat diet. Doctors recommend diabetics not to consume a high fat diet, so it is good to know that cocoa has the possibility of lowering plasma insulin levels. I'm curious as to how much cocoa a human would need to consume to benefit from cocoa's low fat, low calorie and high fiber content.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really incredible the resources humans have as far as recovering from disease or helping to prevent when there is awareness. Cocoa?! It actually doesn't taste awesome when it's pure cocoa. But none-the-less, it's a natural resource in the world we can use to help control aspects of the disease of diabetes and inflammation. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure how valid this data is. Giving mice 10 tablespoons of cocoa, even over a 10 week period, seems like a an excessive amount to me. How much cocoa would humans need to consume in order the see its anti-inflammatory benefits take hold?
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting study though, and I think this is an area to delve deeper into. However, I dislike the idea of avoiding lifestyle changes in order to lose weight. I personally believe that eating a healthful and balanced diet (everything in moderation; sweets are perfectly fine in small amounts) and exercise are the keys to weight loss and decreased inflammation associated with extra adipose tissue.
Could there be affects in the long term? As using cocoa over time the affects could lead to something else maybe since it stop one thing, but could lead to another. I agree with Diana, that life style changes would be the better option overall for a healthy life.
ReplyDeleteAfter readying this post, I had immediately thought about all the things in my pantry that contained cocoa. The only two things that came up was the hot cocoa mix and nutella. The only downside to these two would be that the hot cocoa is consumed with marshmallows and the nutella has sweetener in it so as much as cocoa may be healthy, my sources of it are not.
ReplyDeleteWow this article is really awesome, mostly because I love chocolate especially dark chocolate. I know that dark chocolate can be really healthy for you. I found an article where this study can sort of be translated for humans. They state that consuming dark chocolate improves glucose metabolism and decreases blood pressure. Here they studied 15 healthy adults that were randomized and supplemented daily with 100g of dark chocolate or 90g of white chocolate, each provided with 480 kcal. They found that the dark chocolate supplement was associated with improved insulin resistance and sensitivity and decreased systolic blood pressure, whereas white chocolate had no effect. Even though they found good results this study was only done on 15 people so more research would definitely be needed. From the looks of it I think cocoa definitely has positive effect but maybe for a certain period of time. I definitely agree with Raven that cocoa can be an inexpensive supplement that could be used to fight against obesity-related inflammations.
ReplyDeleteThe site is here below. :)
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/3/541.full