Cocoa Can Help In The Health Of Our Joints

Great news chocolate lovers!  There is even more benefits to cocoa than ever before.  This time, it has arthritis in its sites.  So for those who suffer from this debilitating disease take note, cocoa can help arthritis.

First, let's set the stage and explain a little bit about arthritis.  Arthritis affects 46 million adults each year.  This number is expected to double if not triple by 2030!  There are many different forms but there are two we hear about the most: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis is the general wear and tear our joints take over the course of our lives.  A degenerative condition, where the joints of the body begin to break down from this wear and tear.   This form affects 33 million Americans, and is the most common type of arthritis.  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder, where the immune system starts to function improperly.  The body thinks normal tissue is the enemy and sends a response to fight this perceived threat.   For reason unknown, RA commonly affects the joints in the body.  This leads to inflammation in the joints.  This inflammation can lead to joint deformities and tissue damage if left untreated. 

Now that the background is out of the way, let's get to the cocoa.

Cocoa has high levels of antioxidants mainly in the form of flavonols.  Those antioxidants help control damage caused from free radicals associated with oxidative stress.  But what if I was to tell you those same antioxidants can help arthritis.  Let me explain.

Research done by Romero et al, determined cocoa has amazing effects on inflammation, specifically in the joints.  They determined cocoa, or the flavonols in cocoa, might reduce Th lymphocytes (or t-helper cells) which are markers found in the blood to show inflammation is present.

This study showed cocoa did not reverse arthritis, but it did show a decrease in the T helper cells and other antibodies. Result: a decrease in inflammation!  

The research by Romero et al, was done on mice which had been injected with a serum to produce the onset of arthritis.   So how does this correlate to humans?  How can cocoa help reduce inflammation and the effects of arthritis in people?

Studies conducted by Vazquaz et al, all on humans, showed benefits in regards to molecule NF-KappaB.  This molecule is a key factor in atherosclerosis.  They noted in their research, activation of NF-KappB is the first step in the inflammatory process.   They determined by ingesting 40g of cocoa powder with water showed a significant decrease in NF-KappaB.  They attributed this decrease to the concentration of flavonols in cocoa.

Cocoa has been linked to amazing health benefits and is being researched extensively to determine the benefits on human health.   Flavanols in cocoa has strong antioxidant effects in the body, and those antioxidants might control damage caused by oxidative stress and inflammation. 

This research proves the power of cocoa on arthritis.  Even though cocoa was unable to decrease inflammation and swelling, decreases in molecule such as NF-KappaB and T-helper cells can provide researchers a new avenue of research for cocoa and inflammation.

Arthritis effects millions in America and worldwide.   Cocoa has promising effects on the inflammation process associated with arthritis, possibly helping millions of people along the way.  
 

NEXT: A Tasty Way To Get More Cocoa In Your Diet >>