Cocoa

Studies in people

• Open question

  Heart and blood health²

  Eating chocolate or cocoa did not change most health measures, though it slightly improved triglycerides in some studies.

• Benefit

  Exercise recovery and blood flow³

  Cocoa flavanols may reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and lower blood pressure in obese people, but not improve athletes' performance.

• Benefit

  Mood and gut bacteria⁴

  In people, eating 85% cocoa dark chocolate daily for 3 weeks improved mood and changed gut bacteria.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Heart and blood sugar health⁷

  In lab studies, cocoa's natural compounds are linked to heart protection and blood sugar control, but processing often destroys them.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Heart and blood vessel health⁵

  Cocoa may help blood pressure and blood vessel function, but how it does so is still debated.

How it’s made and used

• Food as enjoyment⁶

  Cocoa has been eaten for pleasure for thousands of years in tropical America and for hundreds of years in the western world.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.