BBC NEWS / HEALTH
23:45 GMT, Monday, 26 May 2008 00:45 UK
A cup of enriched cocoa may help improve the working of blood vessels in diabetic patients, research suggests.
Doctors prescribed three mugs of specially formulated cocoa a day for a month, and found "severely impaired" arteries regained normal function.
The German study, featured in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests chemicals called "flavanols" may be responsible.
But charity Diabetes UK said eating more normal chocolate would not work.
People with diabetes are at greater risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and strokes, partly due to the effects of high blood sugar on the linings of blood vessels, which stops them being able to expand as much when needed by the body.
This can result in higher blood pressure, which can then cause further problems.
While a healthier lifestyle can reduce the risks, it often does not solve the problem completely.
"Our results demonstrate that dietary flavanols might have an important impact" Dr Malte KelmUniversity Hospital Aachen
Cocoa naturally contains "flavanols", antioxidant chemicals which are also found in some fruit and vegetables, green tea and red wine, and has been linked with health benefits by other studies.
The type of cocoa used in the study cannot be found in the shops and is a version enriched with far higher concentrations of the chemicals.
Other studies are looking at whether flavanol-enriched chocolate could benefit patients.
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