Ingredient guide
Cocoa supplies flavanols, antioxidant compounds linked with a small drop in blood pressure. A Cochrane review of 40 short-term trials supports an average reduction of about 2 mmHg. Cocoa also contains theobromine, a mild stimulant relative of caffeine.
Moderate evidenceCocoa comes from the dried, fermented seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are roasted and processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Beyond chocolate, cocoa contains a group of antioxidants called flavanols, plus the mild stimulant theobromine, a chemical relative of caffeine.
A Cochrane review of 40 short-term trials in mostly healthy adults found that flavanol-rich cocoa products lower blood pressure by about 2 mmHg. Most studies lasted 2 to 12 weeks, with products supplying 30 mg to 1,200 mg of flavanols per day. The effect is small but consistent. Some studies were funded by chocolate companies, which makes a small bias plausible. We grade the evidence as moderate for blood pressure.
Trials commonly use products supplying 30 mg to 1,200 mg of flavanols per day, often via 1.4 g to 105 g of cocoa products. Allow several weeks. Dark chocolate with high cocoa content is the most common food form. Ask your healthcare provider before regular high-dose use if you take blood pressure medicine.
On average, by about 2 mmHg, according to a Cochrane review. The effect is small but real.
Closely related but milder. Theobromine has a gentler stimulating effect on humans, though it is toxic to dogs.
