In the past few decades, many studies have shown the various health benefits that can result from regular intake of high flavanol cocoa, with cocoa flavanols being potentially responsible for reductions in blood pressure as well as cardiovascular and diabetes risk among a whole host of other effects. This, however, begs the question: how much cocoa is safe or beneficial to consume per day?
The short answer to this question is that it depends on the form the cocoa you’re adding to your diet takes as well as the health effects you’re attempting to focus on. It is well known, for instance, that dark chocolate is generally healthier than milk chocolate, but whether you’re wanting to boost your caffeine intake with dark chocolate or take high flavanol cocoa for its antioxidant-related health benefits will affect how much you should be consuming as well.
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How much cocoa is safe per day?
For starters, clinical trials such as the one performed in 2015 by Javier Ottaviani et al. have shown that up to 2,000 mg of pure cocoa flavanols can be consumed per day by otherwise healthy adults with little to no adverse health effects being seen over a six week study. Beginning by giving test participants 1,000 mg per day and escalating the amount to 2,000 mg over this period, no clinically relevant changes in blood pressure, platelet funciton, or metabolic variables were found when compared to the control group. This upper limit will of course vary depending on how you’re getting your daily cocoa, but cocoa flavanols themselves do appear to be accepted by the body even at quite a high level.
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Single Origin Fine Aroma Arriba Nacional Cacao, Not Crossbred
Regeneratively Grown in The Mountains of Ecuador
Superior in Minerals, Polyphenols, Antioxidants, Theobromine, Anthocyanins, Magnesium
Micronutrients of Vital Purple
900 Mg of Flavanols Per Serving
240 Mg of Polyphenols Per Serving
9 Mg of Theobromine Per Serving
520 Mg of Antioxidants Per Serving
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What Amount of Daily High Flavanol Cocoa Can Aid in Cognitive Function?
While 2,000 mg of pure cocoa flavanols per day are likely to be safe for otherwise healthy adults, however, studies that focus on the actual potential health benefits of high flavanol cocoa tend to find that 500-1,000 mg per day is the range in which these positives are most seen. Another 2015 study looking at cocoa’s effect on blood pressure and mental function found that an intake of 993 mg per day resulted in improvements in these areas, with cocoa flavanols’ positive effects on insulin sensitivity being linked by the authors to a decrease in age-based cognitive decline.
High Flavanol Cocoa
What Amount of Daily High Flavanol Cocoa Can Reduce Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Risk?
In addition to this, Andújar et al.’s comprehensive 2012 review of high flavanol cocoa’s positive health effects suggests that around 500 mg of cocoa flavanols per day is a good target amount for multiple areas. They found this amount to be the maximum at which reduced cardiovascular risk was observed and cited another study that claims a 500 mg dose could be equally effective to a 1,000 mg dose in combating high blood pressure as well. High flavanol cocoa’s various health benefits may present at levels slightly lower than this as well as different parts of the review show, but a daily dose of around 500-1,000 mg should be the optimal range for maximizing most of them.
Key Takeaways:
Up to 2,000 mg per day of pure cocoa flavanols is safe amount for healthy adults
Up to 1,000 mg per day can help combat age-based cognitive decline
Up to 500 mg per day can help combat blood pressure and cardiovascular risk
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3488419/
Phillip McCauley
Phillip McCauley is the owner of Natural Zing and Vital Purple at TheOrganicCacao.com.
Writer / Research Assistant: Trey Norbey
