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.

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 other plant-based foods.