This is the first large-scale trial to test the long-term effects of a cocoa flavanol supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease. In two articles published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a team led by Howard Sesso and JoAnn Manson, from the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital , reveals the main results of the study dubbed COSMOS , a randomized placebo-controlled trial that tested a cocoa flavanol supplement and a multivitamin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Experiment
More than 21,000 participants were randomly assigned to take daily capsules containing 500 mg cocoa flavanols (donated by Mars), a multivitamin tablet (donated by GSK Consumer Healthcare), neither, or both. People randomly assigned to receive the cocoa flavanol supplement had a 27 percent lower rate of cardiovascular death than other participants, the authors report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
There were no safety concerns for either cocoa flavanols or multivitamins.
“When we looked at the totality of the evidence for the primary and secondary cardiovascular endpoints in COSMOS, we saw promising signs that a cocoa flavanol supplement can reduce major cardiovascular events, including death from cardiovascular disease. These findings warrant further investigation to better understand the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular health,” explains Howard Sesso.
The study found that cocoa flavanols reduced total cardiovascular events by 10% , but this was not statistically significant. However, those who received the cocoa flavanol supplement had a significant 27% reduction in death from cardiovascular disease.
“Previous studies have suggested health benefits of flavanols, compounds in various plant-based foods , including cocoa, tea, grapes and berries,” added JoAnn Manson, also of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s. Hospital.
Caution
It’s not about ingesting 500 milligrams of chocolate , of course. According to Manson, to get this benefit from eating only chocolate, you would need to eat 4,000 calories of milk chocolate and about 600 calories of high-cocoa dark chocolate per day. Some would be happy to eat that much chocolate, but the effects of excess sugar and fat would far outweigh the benefits.
“A person could never realistically consume chocolate without adding excessive calories , fat, and sugar to their diet,” experts say. Clearer, water.
Also, keep in mind that the study was designed to test a common multivitamin in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Participants who adhered to the daily regimen were 39% less likely to die from heart disease during the study period. However, the researchers admitted that more studies are needed to confirm their findings.
“Although our study suggests intriguing signals for cardiovascular protection with cocoa flavanols, any health benefits due to taking these supplements will need confirmation in a future trial . Our message to consumers is to eat a healthy and balanced diet, rich in natural food sources of flavanols”, add the experts.
Referencia: Howard D. Sesso et al. Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for prevention of cardiovascular disease events: The COSMOS randomized clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published online March 16, 2022; doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac055
Howard D. Sesso et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease: The COSMOS randomized clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published online March 16, 2022; doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac056
