Chapter 6:Chocolate, the Digestive Tract and Diabetes

The health benefits of cocoa have been claimed for centuries, and in the last 20 years, major research has been focused on the health benefits of cocoa. Here we summarize a number of the more recent clinical trials with an emphasis on potential benefits. Many of the observed benefits are not from the compounds as they exist in cocoa, but rather from the metabolites produced by the human microbiota during colonic fermentation. During colonic fermentation, large polymers of phenolics are reduced to phenolic acids and other easily absorbed molecules that provide health benefits. The most dramatic and clinically relevant effect is seen in the reduction of blood pressure, particularly in diabetic and obese patients. Other research suggests that there may be benefits in glucose metabolism in diabetics. These studies are summarized and discussed in this chapter.