Cocoa flavanols and the nitric oxide-pathway: targeting endothelial dysfunction by dietary intervention

Endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis and has been attributed to impaired endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity and enhanced formation of oxygen-derived free radicals. Besides anthropological investigations, which suggested a protective role of flavanol-rich food in cardiovascular health, there is emerging evidence from recent interventional studies showing that flavanol-rich cocoa reverses endothelial dysfunction via the modulation of the NO-pathway. Targeting endothelial dysfunction by means of nutritional rather than pharmacological intervention heralds a new strategy to halt progressive atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular dysfunction.

Section editor:Christian Weber – Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR), RWTH, Aachen University, Germany