 More evidence has emerged for the heart health benefits of cocoa, it appears that cocoa may lower the risk of death by cardiovascular disease in aging adults. Coco, chocolate's main ingredient, is rich in flavonol such as Epikatechin, which are known for their beneficial qualities, including a possible link to heart health. Other good flavonol sources include kale, tea, grapes and red wine, berries, tomatoes and broccoli. The exact mechanism by which flavonols seem to improve heart health is not known, but it may involve boosting the production of nitric oxide, which is involved in vasodilation. Scientists from Harvard University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have recently published results from a trial that studied the effect of cocoa extract supplementation on cardiovascular diseases, the number one cause of age-related mortality in the world. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial study was called Cosmos, cocoa supplement and multivitamin outcome study. It was sponsored by Mars Edge, a subsidiary of Mars, the company behind products such as M&M's, Snickers, Twix and Pedigree dog food. Mars Edge is the manufacturer of cocoa-based supplement, Coco Via, although the company was not involved in the study design or the collection of data. It was conducted among over 21,000 people over the age of 60 in the United States over the course of more than three years. The participants, who had to be free of major heart diseases and cancer at baseline, were randomly assigned to take either a cocoa extract supplement with 500 milligrams of flavonols, including 80 milligrams of epikatecine per dose or placebo. The researchers looked at the prevalence of a number of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, carotid artery disease and more. During the follow-up, cardiovascular events happened in 410 participants who were on cocoa extract and in 456 of those who were on placebo. Although the second number is a bit higher, the difference is not considered significant. However, participants who took the supplement had a 27% reduced risk of cardiovascular death. This interesting finding means that cocoa extract might reduce the severity of cardiovascular events rather than their occurrence. One of the secondary endpoints was the prevalence of cancer, which was unaffected by the treatment. The researchers controlled for various potentially relevant factors, such as age, sex, education, smoking status, diabetes status, cardiovascular health, and of course, chocolate consumption, since it could affect dosage. No serious adverse effects were observed, although people who were taking the supplement were 6% more likely to self-report nausea. On the other hand, the cocoa group reported 5% fewer flu-like symptoms and 15% fewer migraines, which is quite substantial. While cocoa extract has been shown to be good for cardiovascular health, this is not an excuse to eat a lot of chocolate. In dark chocolate, the best source of non-fat cocoa solids apart from cocoa powder, flavonol contents can vary widely, and this data is not on the wrapper. In addition to the beneficial flavonols, chocolate is also packed with fat, sugar, and many other ingredients, which might be the reason why data on the health effects of chocolate has been largely inconclusive. According to this study, cocoa extract, when consumed regularly, can decrease the severity of cardiovascular events and lead to less cardiovascular death in people over 60. These results can possibly be extrapolated to other flavonol rich foods, though additional research is needed. When there's more to share, we'll have it for you here, so please subscribe so you don't miss out. I'm Ryan O'Shea and we'll see you next time on Lifespan News.