Epidemiological studies suggest tha

Epidemiological studies suggest that regular consumption of foods and beverages rich in flavonoids is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular mortality, including coronary artery disease and stroke. This beneficial cardiovascular effect of flavonoids has been attributed to their natural antioxidant properties and their role in conserving proper tocopherol content in biological membranes (Middleton, Kandaswami, & Theoharides, 2000). The beneficial effects of chocolate on healthy humans have been widely addressed by a large number of studies in recent years. Because it concerns the cardiovascular apparatus, a particular group of flavonoids, namely, the flavan-3-ols (flavanols), has been recently investigated. Plant-derived foods and beverages are particularly flavanol-rich, such as wine, tea, and various fruits and berries, as well as cocoa and cocoa products, where flavanols can be present as either monomers (−)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin or oligomers of epicatechin and/or catechin (procyanidins) (Keen, Holt, Oteiza, Fraga, & Schmitz, 2005). As chocolate is a significant source of flavonoid antioxidants (Nanetti et al., 2008), several short-term clinical trials have shown beneficial cardiovascular effects of chocolate or cocoa consumption, including improvement of endothelial function (Flammer et al., 2007 and Heiss et al., 2007), inhibition of platelet aggregation, and LDL oxidation.