Claudication: A Cup of cocoa could help

Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which is called in the vernacular also showcase a disease, often have to pause after short distances because they suffer when you Go to pain. You could help cocoa, to improve the Gehleistung, as a study in the journal "Circulation Research" shows.

Of 44 patients over 60 years with peripheral arterial occlusive disease those who drank six months, three times a day cocoa were, in a walk Test six minutes to run 42,6 meters further than those who had received a Placebo beverage with no cocoa. In the case of the participants who drank cocoa had also improves the blood circulation in the calves and some muscle functions.

Not the same as chocolate

"If our results are confirmed in a larger study, these results provide evidence that cocoa may be the health of the calf muscles, the flow of blood and Gehleistung of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease significantly verbessert", Mary McDermott, M. D., Professor of medicine and preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University in Chicago said. That would be gratifying, because there are hardly any therapies to facilitate Concerned the Go.

The used in the study, unsweetened cocoa was rich in Epicatechin, which is included in larger amounts in dark chocolate (with more than 85 percent cocoa). Normal chocolate is not likely to have the same effect.

ZOU