Cocoa Extract
Cocoa extract is a concentrate from cocoa beans, the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), and is rich in polyphenols called flavanols.
Also listed as Chocolate polyphenols, Cocoa polyphenols, Cacao polyphenols, Cacao extract
A modest blood-pressure effect
A Cochrane review of 35 studies involving 1,804 mostly healthy adults found an average reduction of about 1.8 mmHg in blood pressure. Trials lasted two to 18 weeks, and results varied substantially. Evidence quality was moderate. 1
Flavanol-rich cocoa produced a small short-term average reduction; individual responses and products may differ. 1
Did fewer cardiovascular events occur?
COSMOS tested 500 mg of cocoa flavanols daily in 21,442 older adults. Over a median 3.6 years, the primary cardiovascular-event outcome was not significantly reduced. Cardiovascular deaths were lower in a secondary analysis, a promising finding that needs caution because multiple comparisons were made. 2
What about focus and memory?
In the COSMOS clinic substudy, cocoa extract did not improve overall cognition, memory or executive function/attention over two years. Signals among participants with poorer diets were exploratory and not corrected for multiple testing; they remain a research question. 3
Effects by health goal
Open an effect to see the studies behind its rating. Bars show the size of the effect; the letter grades the evidence.
Longevity1 effect
Cardiovascular2 effects
No study is linked to this rating.
Hair & Skin2 effects
No study is linked to this rating.
No study is linked to this rating.
Gut Health1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Cognition2 effects
No study is linked to this rating.
No study is linked to this rating.
Other effects1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
All studies
6 publications are linked to Cocoa Extract, newest first.