Normally, I don’t post on topics like this, but it piqued my interest.
Markers of inflammation have been correlated with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that cocoa decreased inflammation. One group of patients drank skim milk; the other group drank skim milk and cocoa. At the end of a month, the patients who drank cocoa had lower markers of inflammation (VLA-4, CD40, and CD36 of the monocytes as well as ICAM-1 and p-selectin of the endothelium).
As I read this study, I was drinking a hot cocoa weight-loss meal replacement from Take Shape for Life. Nice to know that it not only helped me lose weight, but also might help decrease my chances of hardened arteries which cause strokes and heart attacks. Maybe.
