Cocoa extract slows inflammation in older adults
Researchers at Mass General Brigham report that in a randomized substudy of the COSMOS trial nearly 600 adults (average age ~70) who took 500 mg of cocoa extract daily for two years showed an 8.4% slower annual increase in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) compared with placebo. The peer-reviewed findings, published this month in Age and Ageing, suggest cocoa flavanols may help reduce low-level chronic inflammation ('inflammaging') linked to cardiovascular and other age-related diseases, though authors caution more research is needed to tie biomarker changes to clinical outcomes.
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Cocoa extract could slow aging process in older adults, 'promising' new study finds
New information:
- Study population: nearly 600 participants with mean age about 70 enrolled in a two-year randomized substudy of COSMOS
- Intervention: 500 mg cocoa-extract capsule daily versus placebo for two years
- Primary numeric result: 8.4% slower annual increase in hsCRP among those taking cocoa extract; earlier COSMOS analyses linked cocoa flavanols to a 27% lower cardiovascular disease death