The world’s infatuation with chocolate is undeniable. It has become a $132 billion industry and is now everlastingly linked to many areas of popular (Valentine’s Day chocolate hearts) and religious culture (Easter eggs and chocolate coins during Hanukkah). [R1]

Not many realise, however, that some of the reinforcing effects of chocolate that have caused it to become so well-established on the world stage are not solely reliant on the sensory pleasures associated with its taste. It contains many psychoactive components, including theobromine, anandamide, flavonoids and caffeine. [R2] To the contemporary individual, cocoa only has use in confectionaries but it actually has a long history of solely medicinal use in many cultures. [R3]

Beneficial Effects of Cocoa

1. Cocoa is Cardioprotective

Regular cocoa consumption has been associated with significantly lower cardiac and all-cause mortality in multiple epidemiological studies. [R4] [R5] [R6]

Flavonoids found in cocoa increase nitric oxide and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). [R7] This grants cocoa vasodilatory and blood pressure lowering abilities and activates pathways that are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. [R8] [R9] Additionally, theobromine, another component of cocoa, has been shown to lower blood pressure in three different studies. [R37]

Further to this, as inflammation is a large contributing factor in the development and progression of heart disease, the dietary flavonoids found in cocoa are thought to reduce heart disease risk via reducing oxidative damage and thus baseline inflammation. [R10] [R11]

2. Cocoa Could Improve Diabetes and Diabetes Risk

Flavonoids found in cocoa help prevent type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance through multiple mechanisms, including repairing damaged pancreatic cells and improving endothelial function. [R12] [R13]

They can also inhibit the enzyme alpha-glucosidase, therefore slowing-down and reducing carbohydrate absorption from the intestine, which is ideal for those looking to limit their carbohydrate consumption. [R14]

One should note, of course, that the effects of cocoa upon insulin resistance will be dependant upon continual, chronic consumption and would likely be counteracted if repeatedly co-consumed with the sugar found in most chocolate formulations. [R15] [R16]

3. Cocoa Improves Cognition and Likely Slows cognitive decline

A range of epidemiological studies carried out over the last 15 years suggest that the regular consumption of the flavonoids found in red wine, green tea and chocolate could be associated with better cognitive function, decreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, lower prevalence of cognitive impairment, better cognitive evolution over a 10-year period, and better dose-dependent cognitive performance in normal ageing. [R17]

Cocoa flavonoids are readily absorbed across the blood-brain barrier and when consumed often begin to accumulate in the cortex. Once in the brain, flavonoids increase cerebral blood flow via increasing nitric oxide production. This potentially provided enhanced brain function by ensuring a constant supply of glucose and oxygen to the brain. [R18] [R19] [R20]

There are not many studies looking specifically at the effects of cocoa upon cognition but there are some. One study showed that isolated cocoa flavonols improved visual contrast sensitivity and reaction times in healthy people, perhaps, via improved attentiveness and motivation as a result of enhanced cerebral blood flow. Saying this, improved blood flow to the retina may have played a role also. [R21]

Furthermore, another study in healthy young adults showed that isolated cocoa flavonols significantly accelerate rapid visual information processing and reduce self-ratings of mental fatigue with better results being correlated with larger enhancements of cerebral blood flow as observed by fMRI. [R22] Lastly, Cocoa flavonoids may also enhance memory. [R23] Indeed nitric oxide is known to play a role in the memory formation process (read here).

With regards to cognitive decline, cocoa flavonoid supplementation in both mice and rats slowed the deterioration of performance in some cognitively demanding task, while simultaneously enhancing lifespan by 11%. [R24]

Other than via enhancing cerebral blood flow, cocoa flavonoids may produce positive effects upon the brain by reducing neuroinflammation, by increasing NRF2-mediated gene expression (read more here) and/or via activation of CREB, which enhances a variety of processes such as BDNF production and neurogenesis (read more here). [R24]

4. Cocoa May Enhance Mood

As was mentioned in the intro, some theorise the people’s love of chocolate is not only due to its taste but also due to it psychoactive components, which are in of themselves reinforcing and can, for example, improve wakefulness [R22] [R25] and enhance cannabinoid activity. [R26]

Studies have shown that cocoa consumption is correlated with lower levels of depression in the elderly. [R27] Cocoa flavonoids are also known to have anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects in mice. [R28] Upon reading, many other scientists mention the mood-enhancing effects of cocoa flavonoids as a side-point in their studies.

5. Cocoa May Enhance EYE Health

Some evidence supports the idea of a positive effect of cocoa flavonols upon eye health due to its ability to enhance blood flow to the retina. [R21] [R29]

6. Cocoa May Enhance Muscle Growth strength and counter muscle atrophy

Epicatechin, which is one of the flavonols found in cocoa, decreases myostatin (an inhibitor of muscle growth, see more here) and increases markers of muscle growth in animal studies. [R30] Furthermore, epicatechin has been shown to enhance the positive effects of resistance training in people with muscle sarcopenia. [R31]

7. Theobromine can Improve Wakefulness During Day and ImPROVE sLEEP qUALITY AT nIGHT

Theobromine is a methylxanthine with stimulant properties similar to yet weaker than caffeine. [R32] Despite this, in a survey, theobromine consumption was associated with longer-lasting sleep. Compared with other caffeine sources cocoa and chocolate may interfere with sleep the least due to the theobromine content. [R33] [R34]

How To Consume

Cocoa contains large amounts of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. The percentage of beneficial flavonols found in dark chocolate is reckoned to be around five times that found in milk chocolate, though in comparison to pure cocoa powder both contain far smaller amounts. [R25] [R35] [R36]

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