What Happened?

⁤ ⁤Could cocoa extract supplements rich in ⁣cocoa flavanols reduce inflammation and, in turn, prevent age-related chronic diseases? ⁣In⁢ a new study from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), investigators from Mass General Brigham and their⁢ colleagues looked at changes⁢ in five ‍age-related markers of inflammation among participants who ‍received daily cocoa supplements over several⁤ years. They found that ⁢hsCRP ⁢– an inflammatory⁤ marker ⁢that can signal increased risk of cardiovascular disease⁢ — decreased in participants taking the cocoa extract supplement, suggesting ⁤its anti-inflammatory potential may help⁤ explain its heart-protective effects. Their results are published in Age and Ageing.

Understanding “Inflammaging” and the Role of Cocoa Flavanols

Nutritional interventions have become an increasingly attractive solution for slowing inflammatory aging, so-called ⁣”inflammaging.” Cocoa extract has⁣ been shown in previous, smaller studies to reduce inflammatory biomarkers, thanks to flavanols — small, bioactive ⁣compounds found not only‍ in the cocoa bean but‍ also berries, grapes, tea, ‍and othre plant-based foods. to bridge the gap between these studies and humans, researchers launched the large-scale COSMOS trial,which examines the effects of cocoa extract on cardiovascular disease,and whether inflammaging may explain those effects.

⁢ ⁤ “Our interest ⁣in cocoa extract and inflammaging started⁢ on the basis of cocoa-related reductions in cardiovascular ⁣disease,” said corresponding author Howard ⁣Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate⁤ director ⁣of the Division of Preventive Medicine and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s‍ hospital, a founding member of the⁤ Mass General Brigham healthcare system.”We also appreciate the importent overlap between healthy⁤ aging and ‍cardiovascular health,where aging-related inflammation can harden arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. Because of that, we wanted to see whether multi-year cocoa ‍extract supplementation versus a placebo could modulate inflammaging ‍– and the data suggests it does.”

The COSMOS Trial:⁣ A Large-Scale ‍Inquiry

Between 2014 and 2020, Brigham and Women’s Hospital led the COSMOS trial, a large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial ⁢with 21,442 participants over⁤ 60 years old, finding that cocoa extract supplementation decreased cardiovascular disease mortality by ⁢27%.

Key Findings from the New⁣ Study

⁤ In this⁤ new study, researchers collected and analyzed blood samples of 598 COSMOS participants to measure several inflammaging biomarkers: three⁢ pro-inflammatory proteins (hs