A team of researchers from Brigham Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Augusta University (USA) explored the healing properties of cocoa using supplements made from cocoa extract. The researchers found that cocoa bean extract reduces age-related inflammation and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This new study builds on previous research that revealed that foods and beverages rich in flavanols significantly decrease mortality from cardiovascular disease.
Praise for Flavanols!
These natural compounds, found in cocoa beans and other foods such as apples and grapes, have long been associated with positive health effects. Their role in reducing the damaging effects of chronic inflammation is well known.
As we age, inflammation tends to increase. It contributes to many age-related health problems, ranging from chronic pain to other conditions.
Epidemiologist Howard Sesso, a co-author of the study, noted, “We wanted to determine whether cocoa extract supplementation could influence inflammatory processes. The data showed that it does.”
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The team enrolled 598 healthy adults aged 60 and older in the study. For two years, volunteers took either 500 mg of cocoa extract or a placebo daily. Throughout the trial, researchers measured inflammatory biomarkers in participants’ blood, as reported by Science Alert.
Consumption of cocoa extract reduced the increase in hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a general biomarker of systemic inflammation and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The most significant effects were observed in participants who began the study with a very high risk of those diseases.
“We also noted an increase in levels of interferon-γ—a cytokine associated with immunity; this opens new questions for future research,” said cardiologist and population geneticist Yanbing Dong. He added, “While cocoa extract is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, these results are encouraging.”
“This study highlights the importance of paying more attention to beneficial plant-based foods that support cardiovascular health, particularly cocoa products rich in flavanols,” Sesso remarked. He also emphasized the importance of a “diverse, colorful plant-based diet for managing inflammation.”
The study’s results were published in the journal Age and Ageing.
A previous study on the effects of cocoa supplements found that among older adults taking these supplements, mortality from cardiovascular diseases was 27 percent lower.
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