Study shows cocoa pills could reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease

 According to researchers, the data provide intriguing evidence that cocoa flavanols may have a protective effect.

Taking a cocoa pill may reduce the risk of dying from heart or circulatory disease, new research suggests.

According to the study, people who took the supplement were 27 percent less likely to die from the conditions.

It did not, however, lessen the overall chance of cardiovascular events - any accidents that may cause heart damage.

The findings, according to the researchers, provide promising evidence that cocoa flavanols may have a protective cardiovascular effect.

"These findings merit further investigation to better understand the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular health"

However, consuming a lot of chocolate will not have the same impact, as the research used a cocoa extract with amounts of cocoa flavanols — naturally occurring plant nutrients – that people would not be able to receive by eating their favorite delicacies.

The study team that looked at the outcomes of the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) study was conducted by Howard Sesso and JoAnn Manson from the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in America.

"When we look at the totality of the evidence in COSMOS for both the primary and secondary cardiovascular endpoints, we see promising signals that a cocoa flavanol supplement may reduce important cardiovascular events, including death from cardiovascular disease," Dr. Sesso said.

"These findings call for additional research to better understand the effects of cocoa flavanols on cardiovascular health."

"Previous studies have suggested health benefits of flavanols – compounds found in a variety of plant-based foods such as cocoa, tea, grapes, and berries," Dr. Manson said.