*The structure of epicatechin appears similar to other known catechins (such as EGCG, which is popular in green tea).
1、What is epicatechin?
Epicatechin is a very beneficial flavonoid found in foods that are widely considered healthy (berries, apples, dark chocolate, ginger, grape seeds/wine).
It is most commonly found in natural sources of cocoa, with 1.5-2.8 milligrams of epicatechin per gram of cocoa.Cocoa is not the only source of catechins; it is simply the most popular and readily available source. You can also obtain them from the following sources:
*Hawthorn (140 mg/100 g)
*Ginger (56 mg/100 g)
*Broad beans/fava beans (22.51 mg/100 g)
*Blackberries (11.48 mg/100 g)
*Apple juice (9.03 mg/100 ml apple juice)
*Apple (8.33 mg/100 g)
*Green tea and black tea (4 mg/100 ml)
*Blueberry (5 mg/g)
*Red wine (3.78 mg/100 ml)
When taken in effective doses (as described in the dosage section below), epicatechin has the following benefits:
*Increased blood flow and nitric oxide levels
*Improved insulin sensitivity
*Appetite suppression
*Lower cholesterol levels (due to antioxidant activity)
*Improved blood pressure
*More elastic skin
*It even has potential anabolic (muscle-building) properties and may have the ability to inhibit myostatin.
2、The scientific effects of catechins.
Epigallocatechin gallate can increase nitric oxide (NO) production. Nitric oxide is a molecule that essentially tells our blood vessels to “relax,” thereby increasing blood flow and circulation. This relaxation is called vasodilation—the widening of blood vessels.
These effects offer numerous benefits, such as cardiovascular effects (lowering blood pressure) and improved athletic performance. Increased nitric oxide production raises the so-called anaerobic threshold, or more simply, increases the number of repetitions in the gym.
It is not only beneficial for the gym but also greatly benefits cardiovascular health. One major benefit is the reduction in blood pressure due to the dilation of the aforementioned blood vessels.
3、How does epicatechin affect your nitric oxide levels?
A study had participants consume 30 grams of dark chocolate (70% cocoa) daily, and within 15 days, their serum nitric oxide levels increased by 54%. This was compared to no change in the white chocolate placebo group.
Another study found that epicatechin has a unique ability to increase nitric oxide levels by inhibiting the nitric oxide degradation process. The benefit of this is that you can maintain elevated nitric oxide levels for a longer period of time, thereby providing benefits for exercise and cardiovascular health.
Can more nitric oxide promote actual muscle growth? If it lasts long enough...
If you are a dedicated bodybuilder, you should understand how the “pump” feeling motivates you when you are working hard to gain strength and build muscle.
Several factors influence your ability to achieve the pump sensation during training, but one of the most important factors is your body's production of nitric oxide, which improves blood flow and provides the pump sensation.
Perhaps, if it lasts long enough. The most powerful effect of nitric oxide on muscle growth comes from its ability to increase the production of satellite cells.
Satellite cells are essentially dormant cells that are recruited to repair and rebuild our muscle cells when damage occurs.
However, as we age, the number of available satellite cells begins to decline, and our ability to recover from severe muscle damage—such as the type that occurs during intense training—also begins to decline. New evidence suggests that nitric oxide can actually promote the growth of satellite cells.
*Nitric oxide (NO) stimulates satellite cell proliferation via cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
4、Epicatechin promotes muscle growth and increase strength.
Within your body, myostatin essentially acts as a muscle growth regulator, preventing muscles from growing too large or too quickly.
Conversely, another substance called follicle-stimulating hormone acts as a myostatin regulator, preventing myostatin levels from rising too high and thereby achieving a controlled rate of muscle growth.
Inhibiting myostatin levels has long been the holy grail of muscle-building and muscle-enhancing supplements.
To put it mildly, many people are excited about new evidence from a recent trial involving humans and mice based on epicatechin.
5、The epicatechin between epigallocatechin - myostatin and follicle-stimulating hormone.
A pilot study used six middle-aged participants with average body weight (approximately 40 years old), administering 1 milligram of epicatechin per kilogram of body weight twice daily. For a 185-pound man, this amounts to approximately 170 milligrams of (-)-epicatechin daily.
Within just one week, their follicle-stimulating hormone levels increased by 49.2%, while myostatin levels decreased by 16.6%!
Of course, this was a very limited pilot trial with only six participants and a one-week duration, but it is at least highly promising. Grip strength also increased (7%), though there was no placebo-controlled group.
It is worth noting that these researchers first conducted experiments on young mice, and when given the same dose as humans, the mice experienced a 15% reduction in myostatin levels, but no change in follicle-stimulating hormone levels.
Needless to say, when it comes to (-)-epicatechin's ability to increase size and strength, we are cautiously optimistic. For those who want to stay natural and have a budget to try new extracts, this should be near the top of your list.
In January 2015, researchers published a new pilot study conducting an initial safety analysis on 17 healthy individuals, using 50-200 mg of epicatechin daily, either in a single large dose or twice daily.
No participants experienced any side effects, but more importantly for this section, the average follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels on day 5 were approximately 2.5 times higher than on day 1!
This is just a pilot study, so there will be longer-term studies to come, but this is exciting news. If follicle-stimulating hormone levels remain that high in healthy individuals (we cannot guarantee this will be the case), it does indeed have the potential for muscle growth.
With each new study published, we are becoming increasingly excited about this excerpt and will update this page promptly when it is released.
6、Epicatechin improves muscle endurance.
Epicatechin appears to have the potential to enhance muscle strength and endurance, in addition to its muscle-building benefits.
According to a study published in the Journal of Physiology, mice given 1 mg/kg of epicatechin daily for 15 days showed a significant improvement in endurance capacity.
Another study found that, in addition to increasing the amount of exercise they could perform, the endurance capacity gained during epicatechin supplementation could be maintained without further training as long as supplementation continued.
In fact, data shows that muscle gains can be maintained without exercise for up to 15 days after discontinuing supplementation.
7、The blood sugar regulating effect of epicatechin.
When it comes to building muscle and burning fat, no hormone may be more important than insulin. In the body, insulin is responsible for transporting glucose from our bloodstream into our muscle cells. Once insulin enters the muscle cells, it triggers a reaction that causes the cells to begin the muscle-building process, known as protein synthesis.
However, while insulin's anabolic effects are crucial for muscle growth, excessive insulin can have devastating effects on our health and physique. When insulin remains in the bloodstream due to excessive carbohydrate consumption, muscle cells become resistant and no longer allow glucose to be removed from the bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar levels. In addition to laying the groundwork for the development of type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases, this also results in the accumulation of excess fat in the body.
8、The effect of glucose treatment on epicatechin.
Eating 100 grams of dark chocolate every day can really boost insulin sensitivity and glucose dispersion, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
This means that epicatechin actually helps our cells process glucose more efficiently, letting us bounce back faster from intense workouts, build muscle more effectively, and keep unwanted body fat in check.
For these reasons, these extracts are not yet available on the market, but if your diet consistently lacks epicatechin-based foods, supplementation before carbohydrate-containing meals may be worthwhile, even if you are dieting and not pursuing muscle growth.
9、Appetite suppression ability of epicatechin.
From the above perspective, dieters should be excited about a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016, titled Epicatechin, proanthocyanidins, cocoa, and appetite: a randomized controlled trial.
The study found that “only after supplementation with epicatechin did non-alkalized cocoa mixtures lead to a significant reduction in food intake.”
They further noted, “Epicatechin doses >1.6 mg/kg body weight, either alone or in combination with appropriate catalytic cocoa compounds, may help individuals control food intake.”
10、The benefits of epicatechin for brain and heart health.
In addition to promoting physical health and enhancing nitric oxide production, epicatechin has been shown to have significant benefits for improving overall heart health and brain function.
It is well known that epicatechin stimulates nitric oxide production, thereby increasing blood flow and providing the aforementioned cardiovascular benefits.
11、Improvement of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by epicatechin.
In addition to the two studies cited above showing the benefits of improved nitric oxide levels, a third study found that consuming just 100 grams of dark chocolate (containing 88 milligrams of flavanols) for two weeks lowered blood pressure and serum LDL cholesterol, but a white chocolate placebo had no effect. The mechanism of action may be due to its antioxidant properties.
12、Enhancement of cognitive function by epicatechin.
Other studies have found that the increased blood flow from epicatechin extends all the way to the brain and has actually been shown to improve cognitive function!
By applying the Framingham Risk Score, CF significantly reduces the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease mortality.
In the first part of this pilot study, participants were given 150 mg of total cocoa flavanols for five days, followed by cognitive tasks. Participants' BOLD (blood oxygen level-dependent) signals improved, theoretically indicating increased neural transmission and brain activity.
In the second part of the study, researchers administered a single high dose of flavanols (450 mg) and recorded cerebral blood flow, which aligned with all the aforementioned results.
Since this was only a pilot study, there is undoubtedly more cognitive support that has yet to be measured or understood. Alternatively, it may simply be related to overall improved blood flow.
Needless to say, cocoa-derived flavanols (mostly composed of epicatechin) have already demonstrated significant benefits to scientists.
