Diabetes is a major disease in the United States and throughout the world with a global prevalence of about 8.5 % of the population being affected in 2014. One central characteristic of those who suffer from diabetes is the decrease of functional β cell mass and with that a decrease in insulin secretion. By maintaining a proper level of insulin secretion, the body is able to sustain healthy glucose levels. Cocoa flavanols (epicatechins and catechins) have proved to have a direct and positive effect on β cell proliferation that can lead to higher insulin secretion in vitro. Though cocoa flavanols positively impact cells in vitro the polymer and oligomer variations have shown lower levels of absorption by the gut. The oligomeric and polymeric epicatechins are metabolized by gut bacteria. Some of the metabolites have proved to increase cellular respiration and glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). We present data for three cocoa flavanol metabolites (5-phenylvaleric acid (PA), homovanillic acid (HV), and hippuric acid (HA)) on β cell glucose stimulated insulin secretion. As we come to understand how each of these compounds affect insulin secretions, we can come closer to finding a more conventional cure for diabetes.
