This is the first long-term test of the heart and circulatory effects of cocoa flavanols. In this six-year trial, 21,422 participants took 500 mg of cocoa flavanols with or without a multivitamin, or neither of these, per day.
When doctors analyzed those who most consistently took cocoa flavanols with or without multivitamins, they found 15 percent lower chances of heart or circulatory events, and 39 percent lower likelihood of dying from these conditions, compared to those who took neither supplement. Previous short-term trials found circulatory benefits for flavanols, but this is the first to show lower chances for heart and circulatory events.
Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 2022, Vol. 115, No. 6, 1490-1500
