About half of all Americans have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and many are unaware they have the condition.
High blood pressure develops when blood flows through the arteries at consistently higher-than-normal pressure, increasing the strain on the heart and blood vessels.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers: systolic and diastolic.
Systolic pressure refers to the force exerted on artery walls when the heart’s ventricles pump blood out of the heart. Diastolic pressure represents the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.
Cocoa is a rich dietary source of polyphenols, including flavanols, compounds that have been linked to cardiovascular benefits such as reduced blood pressure.
Previous reviews have reported significant effects of cocoa intake on systolic blood pressure, but many of those studies had small sample sizes and varied research designs.
In the current study, researchers set out to examine the effects of at least two weeks of cocoa intake, consumed either as a beverage or as dark chocolate, in individuals with normal or elevated systolic blood pressure (≥130 mmHg). The team reviewed 31 eligible studies published up to 2021.
The analysis showed that consuming cocoa for two weeks or longer was associated with reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. When comparing forms of intake, dark chocolate was linked to a greater reduction in resting systolic blood pressure (−3.94 mmHg) than cocoa beverages (−1.54 mmHg).
The researchers also found that higher doses were associated with stronger effects. Specifically, daily flavanol intakes of at least 900 mg or epicatechin intakes of at least 100 mg produced more pronounced blood pressure reductions.
Based on these findings, the authors suggest that cocoa beverages and dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure in people with normal or elevated levels. However, they emphasize that further studies are needed to determine the optimal dose required to achieve clinically meaningful reductions in blood pressure.
The research was published in Foods and was conducted by Isaac Amoah and colleagues.
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