An extract made from cocoa beans may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing age-related inflammation, according to a recent study by an international team of researchers.
The scientists behind the study expanded on previous research suggesting that flavanol-rich food and drink, such as chocolate, significantly reduced death by cardiovascular disease.
Found in cocoa beans and other foods such as green tea, apples, and grapes, flavanols have long been associated with a variety of health improvements, including a role in reducing damage caused by excess inflammation.
Related: Drinking Cocoa May Protect Your Body From Fatty Foods And Stress
Inflammation worsens with age in a process commonly referred to as ‘inflammaging‘, and is associated with a host of age-related health problems (from chronic pain to Alzheimer’s disease).
If cocoa supplements can reduce that inflammation, the potential benefits are significant.
“Our interest in cocoa extract and inflammaging started based on cocoa-related reductions in cardiovascular disease,” says Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US.
“We wanted to see whether multi-year cocoa extract supplementation versus a placebo could modulate inflammaging – and the data suggests it does.”
The researchers enlisted 598 healthy adults aged 60 and over who were given either a 500 milligram cocoa extract supplement or a placebo each day over two years. Across this period, inflammatory biomarkers in the blood were measured.
Taking the cocoa extract significantly slowed the rise in hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a general biomarker for systemic inflammation and risk of cardiovascular disease. The greatest effect was detected among those who started the study period with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease.
It’s not clear what these results mean for overall health. Future research could investigate changes in cytokines, with signs suggesting a relationship exists between some of these small proteins and the cocoa extract.
“Interestingly, we also observed an increase in interferon-γ, an immune-related cytokine, which opens new questions for future research,” says cardiologist and population geneticist Yanbin Dong, from Augusta University in the US.
“While cocoa extract is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, these results are encouraging and highlight its potential role in modulating inflammation as we age.”
A previous investigation called the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study found cardiovascular-related deaths were 27 percent lower in a group of seniors taking cocoa supplements.
HsCRP may be driving down that cardiovascular disease risk by reducing inflammation, with research hinting at biological mechanisms that may dial down the background hum of the body’s immune system.
It’s noted that the study was in part funded by investigator-initiated grants from Mars Edge, a segment of Mars Incorporated. While this doesn’t invalidate the findings, confectionery companies could arguably have a vested interest in health-related outcomes of taking cocoa extract.
In the future, such supplements could be taken as a way to manage inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease, meaning better health for a longer period of time.
“This study calls for more attention to the advantage of plant-based foods for cardiovascular health, including cocoa products rich in flavanols,” says Sesso.
“It reinforces the importance of a diverse, colorful, plant-based diet – especially in the context of inflammation.”
The research has been published in Age and Ageing.
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