Cacao for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

Several studies reported on protective effects of cacao against diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Apart from direct radical scavenging capacities, it was suggested that beneficial antioxidants for the treatment of atherosclerosis-related diseases should provide further properties such as interference with inflammatory and cytoprotective mechanisms. Recently, significant suppressive effects of cacao extracts on secretion of pro-inflammatory interferon-γ by T-cells and related biochemical pathways in human macrophages, such as degradation of tryptophan by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and formation of neopterin via guanosine triphosphate-cyclohydrolase I, were shown. This chapter discusses implications of these suppressive capacities of cacao for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.