Think you know all about heart-healthy foods? Think again…

Vegan and Mediterranean diets have gained immense popularity, with a growing number of individuals embracing these dietary choices. While some individuals opt for a plant-based lifestyle due to environmental concerns, others embrace these diets for their associated health advantages.

It comes as no surprise that extensive research has established a strong association between Mediterranean and vegan diets and desirable outcomes such as lower body mass index (BMI) and reduced risk of specific diseases, including Age-related Cardiovascular Disease.

However, recent findings from a new study reveal the effectiveness of incorporating two heart-healthy foods into your daily diet. These foods have the potential to delay and prevent Age-related Cardiovascular Disease, making them valuable additions to your overall cardiovascular health regimen.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) rank as the second leading cause of global mortality, with a higher prevalence among individuals aged 60 and above, following cancer.

The process of aging contributes to the dysfunction of vascular endothelium, accompanied by increased arterial stiffness and thickening. Moreover, aging diminishes the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), an enzyme responsible for the production of nitric oxide (NO).

Nitric oxide plays a vital role as a vasodilator, regulating vascular tone and preventing vascular inflammation. Fortunately, the inclusion of polyphenols in the human diet has demonstrated effectiveness in counteracting the detrimental effects of aging.

These polyphenols exhibit particular efficacy in safeguarding against cognitive function decline and the onset of cardiovascular disease.

A study recently published in the Nutrients journal delves into the potential advantages of incorporating cocoa and red berries into one’s diet to enhance cardiovascular biomarkers.

In this particular study, researchers investigated the impact of red berry anthocyanins and cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular biomarkers, such as homocysteine, NO, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), blood pressure, and lipid profile.

The study followed a 12-week randomized, single-blind, parallel-group trial design. Participants were divided into three groups based on the product they consumed. Group one consumed 5 g/day of red berries (RB), while group two consumed 2.5 g/day of polyphenol-rich cocoa powder (C).

Group three consumed a combination of cocoa and red berries (RB+C) at a rate of 7.5 g/day. Eligible participants were selected from the age group of 45 to 85 years, including both men and postmenopausal women.

Volunteers made three separate visits to the Human Nutrition Unit at ICTAN-CSIC to provide samples and data. During the initial visit, a personal interview was conducted to determine eligibility. The second visit served as the baseline for the study, and the 12-week intervention concluded with the third visit.

At each visit, various measurements were taken, including blood specimens, early morning urine samples, height, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, and 24-hour diet records. Additionally, the team assessed plasma nitric oxide levels and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD).

The study participants exhibited no significant differences in age, gender, height, or the proportion of smokers at the beginning of the study. The chronic smoking rate among the study population was 20%.

Regarding the concentrations of total serum protein, homocysteine, nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) activity, no significant differences were observed between the groups. However, during the course of the study, the cocoa powder cohort displayed a statistically notable increase in FMD values, while the cocoa group exhibited a reduction in TMAO levels after the 12-week intervention.

No significant changes were observed in any of the analyzed features related to diet between baseline and the 12-week mark.

At the beginning of the study, no significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the analyzed parameters, including cardiovascular parameters. Furthermore, no notable variations were observed among the groups or visits for any parameters at the endpoint.

Following the 12-week intervention, the group that consumed cocoa demonstrated a greater increase in polyphenol levels compared to the RB+C group, resulting in significant differences between the two groups.

The C group exhibited a significant increase in polyphenol plasma levels, while the RB group showed a nearly significant elevation in total polyphenols within the group.

Among the RB and C groups, the 12-week intervention led to significant differences in blood chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) concentrations, with the RB mixture group displaying the highest increase in CDCA concentrations.

Statistically significant differences were only observed in the RB group, where concentrations of deoxycholic acid (DCA) increased after the intervention with the RB mixture. Additionally, a nearly significant difference was observed in CDCA in the RB cohort, with a notable increase post-intervention.

The study revealed significant differences only between the groups receiving isovaleric (ISOV) and caproic (CAP) acids. Group C had a higher concentration of ISOV compared to the RB+C group, while group RB had a higher concentration of CAP compared to the RB+C group.

The intervention with food products resulted in a slight increase in all short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) except for butyric acid (BUT) in the C and RB+C groups.

Consumption of red berry anthocyanins led to a significant rise in fermentation index A (FIA) ratio in both the RB and C groups, as well as a nearly significant elevation in ACE and total SCFAs.

The study results indicated that regular consumption of cocoa flavanols offers significant benefits for cardiovascular health. It was observed that cocoa flavanols help reduce levels of TMAO and uric acid, improve FMD values (flow-mediated dilation), and exhibit a correlation with polyphenol levels in the bloodstream. Notably, higher polyphenol levels were found to be associated with lower concentrations of TMAO.

The presence of cocoa flavanols and RB anthocyanins in the diet promotes the metabolism of gut microbiota by enhancing carbohydrate fermentation and increasing the production of SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids). By incorporating more polyphenol-rich foods into one’s diet, individuals can potentially delay or prevent age-related cardiovascular diseases.

Further placebo-controlled studies are necessary to delve deeper into the mechanisms underlying the potential cardiovascular protective and prebiotic effects of cocoa flavanols and RB anthocyanins.

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