According to new study, cocoa flavanols may be a vital part of a healthy diet for individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease.

Poor blood vessel functioning is recognized as an early stage in the growth process of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), comprising artery disease.

As per results of a research carried out at the University of California San Francisco, daily cocoa flavanol intake more than doubled the number of circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) in the blood.

Study author Christian Heiss, MD, Heinrich-Heine University added, "And perhaps most importantly, for the first time, we found that cocoa flavanols might even directly mobilize important cells that could repair damaged blood vessels. The benefits are substantial, without any observed adverse effects."

"Of course, more research is needed to confirm and build upon these observations, but we're intrigued by the potential for flavanols in the context of dietary and pharmaceutical strategies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases," Heiss added.

The study also points to novel chances for cocoa flavanol-based interventions linked with age-related blood vessel disfunction and vascular complications of type-2 diabetes.

The results of the study are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). (With Inputs from Agencies)