A study by the School of Medicine of the University of California in San Diego (USA) published in the journal Clinical and Translational Science shows that pure cocoa can increase the ability to exercise .
Specifically, the researchers worked with patients who had suffered damage to the mitochondria of skeletal muscle. Mitochondria are responsible for producing energy in cells, and are often disrupted in diabetics and people with heart failure. These patients usually show a lack of physical energy and fatigue, difficulty breathing and walking, etc.
The participants in the experiment consumed dark chocolate bars with extra content of epicatechin , a natural flavonoid typical of cocoa. After three months, biopsies of their muscles showed significant increases in the number of mitochondria, which also had more ridges inside, an indicator of increased efficiency in producing energy to supply cells.
