Cocoa lovers with less than healthy dietary patterns are in for a bit of good news. Recently a randomized controlled study of 573 participants published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that older adults with unhealthy diets who took daily 500 mg cocoa flavanol extract supplement experienced cognitive benefits, while those who already had healthy dietary patterns did not have the same benefits.
Cocoa-Licious
Cocoa is a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants such as flavonoids, catechins, and procyanidins that carry a range of health benefits for our cardiovascular health, brain function, and skin health when consumed in moderation. Cocoa is also a good source of iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper, as well as theobromine stimulants that help to promote a sense of relaxation, improve moods, and boost cognitive functions like attention, working memory, executive function, and processing speed.
Research suggests that for the most benefits, unsweetened cocoa powder or dark chocolate with a high cocoa content make some of the best choices. It is also worth noting that increasing your intake could increase your intake of sugar and lead to some unwanted side effects, thus controlled portion sizes are highly suggested. Additionally, anything that is good for you, when eaten in excess can be bad for you, cocoa is no exception, meaning that consuming it in moderation is key.
COSMOS
In the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), the researchers from Mass General Brigham detailed neuropsychological assessments from over 2 years, showing that daily cocoa extract supplementation had no overall benefits for global or domain-specific cognitive function. However, it became more interesting during the researcher’s secondary analysis which revealed that participants with a poor-quality diet experienced benefits from taking the daily cocoa extract supplement.
COSMOS is a long-term, investigator-initiated large-scale clinical trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital with over 21,000 participants across America who were enrolled in the double-blinded, placebo-controlled study investigating whether taking daily supplements of coca extract or common multivitamins reduced the risk of developing cancer, stroke, heart disease, as well as other important health outcomes.
Findings from this study, conducted among COSMOS participants who underwent in-person detailed cognitive testing, are consistent with results from a previous study involving web-based cognitive assessment of a separately enrolled set of COSMOS participants.
Additional research and analysis of the data from COSMOS continue to provide insights into the connections between human health and dietary supplements.
Funding
COSMOS is supported by grants from the NIH, as well as an investigator-initiated grant from Mars Edge which included infrastructure support and the donation of study pills and packaging. Additionally, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon) provided support through the partial provision of study pills and packaging.
However, neither Mars Edge nor Pfizer Consumer Healthcare provided input regarding data analyses, interpretation of results, or manuscript development, according to the researchers.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through contracts.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.10.031
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24100674
https://worldhealth.net/news/cocoa-flavanol-supplement-may-reduce-risk-cardiovascular-disease/
