Improving Cardiovascular Health with Cocoa Powder – Fruits – Tea

According to researchers in Germany, flavanols found in cocoa powder, fruits, and tea can help improve cardiovascular health and support better circulatory function. Adults who consume a flavanol-rich beverage daily have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels compared to those drinking beverages without flavanols.

Members of EU-funded projects used powdered drinks containing flavanols extracted from raw, fresh cocoa beans. These compounds are also found in foods such as apples, pears, pomegranates, and green tea. This is also one of the first studies to examine the effects of flavanols on adults.

In an experiment involving 105 participants aged 35 to 60, volunteers consumed two 500 ml glasses of water mixed with a powdered substance each day. Half of the participants received a powder containing 450 mg of flavanols per serving, while the other half received a powder with identical flavor but no flavanols. The participants did not know which type they were drinking and were encouraged to maintain their normal eating habits during the study.

The results showed that after one month, the blood pressure of those who consumed the flavanol-rich beverage decreased by 3%, and their cholesterol levels dropped by 4%. These compounds improve vascular elasticity, strengthen heart contractions, and help the circulatory system function more smoothly.

Scientists further pointed out the long-term health benefits, estimating reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and heart attack by 1, 0.7, and 0.4 percentage points respectively over a span of ten years. Although it is difficult to predict ten-year health indices from a one-month study, the numbers are highly promising.

Human cardiovascular health will improve day by day

Although the effects are small, they are valuable because they help prevent the progression of heart disease. Moreover, the study reported no harmful side effects. Dr. Heiss does not recommend that people eat chocolate due to its high calorie content, but he encourages adding flavanol-rich foods such as pure cocoa powder, apples, pears, and other similar products into the diet.

Last year, researchers in the United States launched a large-scale study involving more than 18,000 participants to investigate whether flavanols in pure cocoa powder can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death. One question that particularly interests researchers is how long it takes for flavanols to take effect once consumed. The results of this study, conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, are expected to be published in 2019.