Cocoa extract and thinking skills over three years in older adults
What it found
Taking cocoa extract every day for three years made no difference to memory or thinking skills in older adults.
The trial also tested a multivitamin, which did show a benefit.
What they found
Studies in people
No effect on thinking
After three years, people taking the cocoa extract scored about the same on overall thinking tests as those taking the dummy pill. The cocoa group showed no advantage in memory or problem solving either.
Multivitamin helped thinking
People who took a daily multivitamin instead of a dummy pill showed better overall thinking after three years. Memory and problem solving scores also improved in the multivitamin group.
Heart disease and multivitamins
The thinking benefits from the multivitamin appeared larger for people who already had heart problems. Those participants started the trial with lower thinking scores than others.
Other findings
What was in the pill
The daily cocoa extract pill provided 500 mg of cocoa flavanols. It also contained 80 mg of epicatechin, about 50 mg of theobromine, and about 15 mg of caffeine.
What the authors conclude
- They found that taking cocoa extract every day for three years did not improve thinking skills in older adults.
- They say their results are the first from a large, long trial to suggest a daily multivitamin may help protect thinking skills as people age.
- They call for another trial in a more diverse group of people to confirm these findings.
How it was done
Scientists wanted to know if daily supplements could help protect the brain as people age. Cocoa contains plant compounds that might improve blood flow to the brain.
Researchers followed 2262 older adults with an average age of 73 for three years. Participants took either a daily cocoa extract pill containing 500 mg of cocoa flavanols or a dummy pill. Their thinking skills were checked by phone each year.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only measured thinking skills once a year.
- Any short term boost from cocoa lasting less than a few months would have been missed.
- The study group was mostly white, so the results might differ in other populations.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIA NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Competing Interests. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and the content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Neither the National Institutes on Health, Mars, nor Pfizer contributed to any aspect of the trial including design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors have no competing interests to report. Declarations of Interest: None
- Authors work at
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA; Brigham and Women's Hospital, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
The paper
- Title
- Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Baker LD, Manson JE, Rapp SR, et al (2023). Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial. Alzheimer's & dementia. doi:10.1002/alz.12767Free full textPubMed 36102337DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error