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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Cocoa compounds and cardio health. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death among kidney disease patients on dialysis. Cardiac researcher Tienush Rassaf at University Hospital Essen in Germany believes flavonoid compounds derived from cocoa beans can help. In the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, he and his colleagues report that after thirty days of drinking a beverage high in the compounds, patients improved their blood vessel function compared to patients who drank a beverage without the compounds.
TIENUSH RASSAF (UNIVERSITY HOS PITAL ESSEN, GERMANY):
The effect was really amazing. So actually we saw effects that we would normally see with medication or with lifestyle changes.
HIRSHON:
While flavonoids from cocoa beans and many fruits and vegetables have been shown to have healthful benefits before, Rassaf’s research is focusing on the compounds’ used to treat high-risk cardiovascular patients in need of new, effective treatments. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.