CHOCOLATE HEALTH CLAIMS

Love chocolate? 73.9% of the United States population likes chocolate. It is a delicious snack that provides a boost after a long day. You have probably heard that dark chocolate has health benefits, but is that scientifically true or false?

Clinical studies have found that cocoa may have health benefits, this is possible because of the amount of nutrients in cocoa that could improve heart health and boost brain function, especially in adult cells.

Baker L.D. et al. conducted a study to assess the design and baseline characteristics of the cocoa supplement and multivitamin for the mind. The study found that cocoa health benefits derived from flavonoids; cocoa beans and dark chocolate contains high levels of such components.

Baker et al. study is still ongoing to evaluate whether cocoa supplement help preventing cognitive impairment in older adults, if there is an impact in short-term memory and what benefits provide to overall brain function. More than 2,000 older adults have been recruited over three years; however, investigators consider it’s too soon to drag final conclusions on the benefits for brain health.

Another article supporting these benefits in an investigation carried out in Kuna, near to the coast of Panama, where the population consumes high amounts of cocoa. This population consumes hot chocolate like water, lots of cups throughout the day. Consequently, the population consuming high amounts of this product had a lower incidence of heart disease, compared to the neighboring region not consuming such high amounts of cocoa.

Researchers are currently studying the exact dose of cocoa flavonoids that help improving general health, from eye problems to heart and cognitive diseases.

References: Baker, L. D., Rapp, S. R., Shumaker, S. A., Manson, J. E., Sesso, H. D., Gaussoin, S. A., ... & COSMOS-Mind Research Group. (2019). Design and baseline characteristics of the cocoa supplement and multivitamin outcomes study for the Mind: COSMOS-Mind. Contemporary clinical trials, 83, 57-63. DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.06.019 https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/02/chocolate-health-claims

Written by Jennefer Iveth Mercado Cerda. Student of the Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Public Health, Researcher in the Department of Development at CidVID.