Overview

• Peer-reviewed analysis of 598 participants found daily cocoa extract lowered hsCRP by about 8.4% per year versus placebo over two years.
• Blood was collected at baseline, one year, and two years to assess hsCRP, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, and IFN-γ in a randomized, placebo-controlled design.
• Other biomarkers showed mixed patterns, including an increase in interferon-γ and no consistent changes in TNF-α or IL-10.
• A small decline in IL-6 was observed in women only, which investigators said warrants further investigation.
• The Age and Ageing paper builds on the larger COSMOS trial that reported a 27% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality with cocoa extract as follow-up analyses continue.