In a recent study published in Nutrients , researchers reviewed the effects of cocoa consumption on anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and glycemic and lipid profiles to elucidate its impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Study: Effects of Cocoa Consumption on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Image Credit: iprachenko / Shutterstock.
com Current estimates indicate that CVDs claim over 17.9 million lives each year, thus making these diseases the leading global cause of human mortality. In Brazil, over 397,000 individuals died due to CVDs in 2019, 43% of whom succumbed to coronary artery diseases.
The Framingham Heart Study is considered the pioneer of cardiometabolic research, as a significant portion of current cardiometabolic risk stratification has been based on its concepts. This study stratifies CVD risk based on age, sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and behaviors, including smoking and alcohol dependence. Notably, many of these factors have shown strong associations with diet, with a growing body of literature highlighting the role of healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, in reducing CVD risk.
Cocoa is a fruit that is rich in polyphenols, the majority of which are flavonoids that have been shown to reduce the risk of both CVDs and artherosclerosis by reducing inflammation, improving endothelial function, and lowering blood pressure. More specifically,.
