Cardiometabolic Impact of Encapsulated Cocoa Powder and Pure Cocoa Ingredients Supplementation: A Comparative Placebo-Controlled RCT in Adults.

ABSTRACT: Consuming cocoa rich in flavan-3-ols (particularly epicatechin [EC]) may reduce vascular stiffness and blood pressure (BP) and improve serum lipid profiles. Because interventional studies on pure EC exhibited inconclusive results, the role of other cocoa ingredients such as methylxanthines (MX) on vascular health was assumed. This study aimed to systematically compare the effects of flavanol-rich cocoa and its major components EC and MX on vascular function and serum lipid levels. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 75 healthy young adults ingested capsules containing either (i) flavanol-rich cocoa powder, (ii) EC, (iii) MX, (iv) EC + MX, or (v) placebo (n = 15 per group) daily for 4 weeks. Capsules provided equal amounts of EC and/or MX as the cocoa capsules. Pulse wave velocity (PWV)

SUBMITTER: Weigant J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11874242 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature