Randomized study of the effects of cocoa-rich chocolate on the ventricle–arterial coupling and vascular function of young, healthy adults

The aim of this study was to evaluate and explore the benefits of long-term dark chocolate intake in young, healthy adults by measuring cardiovascular function. A randomized study was conducted with 30 healthy participants ages 18 to 27 y. Half of the participants ingested a 20-g dose of lower cocoa chocolate (LCC; ∼55%; 12.6 ± 1.4 mg equivalent of epicatechin/g) and the others ingested a daily dose of 20 g of higher cocoa chocolate (HCC; ∼90%;...