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Consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa acutely increases microcirculation in human skin

European Journal of Nutrition volume 46, pages 53–56 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Long term cocoa ingestion leads to an increased resistance against UV-induced erythema and a lowered transepidermal water loss.

Aim of the study

To investigate the acute effects of a single dose of cocoa rich in flavanols on dermal microcirculation.

Methods

In a crossover design study, 10 healthy women ingested a cocoa drink (100 ml) with high (329 mg) or low (27 mg) content of flavanols. The major flavanol monomer in both drinks was epicatechin, 61 mg in the high flavanol, and 6.6 mg in the low flavanol product per 100 ml. Dermal blood flow and oxygen saturation of hemoglobin were examined by laser Doppler flowmetry and spectroscopically at 1 mm skin depth at t = 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h. At the same time points, plasma levels of total epicatechin (free compound plus conjugates) were measured by means of HPLC.

Results

Subsequent to the intake of high flavanol cocoa, dermal blood flow was significantly increased by 1.7-fold at t = 2 h and oxygen saturation was elevated 1.8-fold. No statistically significant changes were found upon intake of low flavanol cocoa. Maximum plasma levels of total epicatechin were observed 1 h after ingestion of the high flavanol cocoa drink, 11.6 ± 7.4 nmol/l at baseline, and 62.9 ± 35.8 nmol/l at 1 h. No change of total epicatechin was found in the low flavanol group.

Conclusion

Flavanol-rich cocoa consumption acutely increases dermal blood flow and oxygen saturation.

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Fig. 1

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by “Krebsforschung International” (Düsseldorf, Germany). H.S. is a Fellow of the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), Bethesda, MD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, P.O. Box 101007, 40001, Dusseldorf, Germany

    Karin Neukam,  Wilhelm Stahl & Helmut Sies

  2. Institut für Experimentelle Dermatologie, Universität Witten-Herdecke, Witten, Germany

    Hagen Tronnier & Ulrike Heinrich

Authors
  1. Karin Neukam
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  2. Wilhelm Stahl
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  3. Hagen Tronnier
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  4. Helmut Sies
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  5. Ulrike Heinrich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wilhelm Stahl.

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Neukam, K., Stahl, W., Tronnier, H. et al. Consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa acutely increases microcirculation in human skin. Eur J Nutr 46, 53–56 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-006-0627-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-006-0627-6

Keywords

  • epicatechin
  • microcirculation
  • skin
  • human
  • flavonoids
  • blood flow