Dark chocolate, cocoa and heart health in people
What it found
Cocoa may lower blood pressure and improve several markers linked to heart disease in people.
The authors say dark chocolate could play a role in reducing heart risk for many.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pressure and heart risk
Observations in the Kuna Indian population showed impressive heart benefits from cocoa. In other populations, this benefit has not been as strong.
Other findings
How cocoa might work
Flavanols and theobromine in cocoa may improve the function of blood vessel linings. This could help with high blood pressure, sticky blood platelets, insulin resistance and high cholesterol.
Processing changes benefits
The possible benefits of cocoa may change during growing, development and production stages.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that for many people, dark chocolate may offer a pleasurable way to help lower heart disease risk.
- They note that no agreement has been reached on exactly how cocoa supports heart health.
How it was done
Dark chocolate and cocoa are widely eaten, but scientists disagree about whether they truly benefit overall health. Observations of the Kuna Indian population suggested strong heart benefits from cocoa, but those results have not held up as well in other groups.
The authors gathered and discussed existing research linking cocoa to lower blood pressure and reduced heart disease risk. They also looked at how cocoa is grown, developed and produced, and considered its use as a dietary supplement.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers past research rather than testing cocoa directly, so it cannot prove cause and effect.
- Scientists do not yet know exactly which parts of cocoa drive any heart benefits.
The paper
- Title
- Chocolate--guilty pleasure or healthy supplement?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Latham LS, Hensen ZK, Minor DS (2014). Chocolate--guilty pleasure or healthy supplement?. Journal of clinical hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.). doi:10.1111/jch.12223Free full textPubMed 24734311DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error