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Posted on 05/20/2025 7:06:45 AM PDT by Red Badger
In a nutshell
* Dark chocolate, tea, apples, and grapes can significantly lower blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension, with effects comparable in size to standard medications.
* These flavan-3-ol-rich foods also improve blood vessel function, offering heart health benefits beyond just blood pressure reduction.
* Whole foods work better than supplements, and they come with minimal side effects, making them a safe, affordable addition to a heart-healthy lifestyle.
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GUILDFORD, England — Instead of buying the next trendy expensive supplement or exotic superfood, a morning cup of tea could do more for your blood pressure than you realize. A new international study suggests that certain foods, like tea and dark chocolate, pack enough cardiovascular punch to rival prescription medications—at least for people who need them most.
Researchers analyzed 145 clinical trials involving over 5,000 participants and found that foods rich in compounds called flavan-3-ols can slash blood pressure by amounts comparable to many hypertension drugs. In people with high blood pressure, consuming these foods daily dropped their readings by about 6 points systolic (the top number) and 3 points diastolic (the bottom number), similar to what doctors see with standard medications.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, examined foods that most Americans already know and love: dark chocolate, tea (both green and black), apples, and grapes. Unlike studies that test isolated compounds in lab settings, this analysis looked at actual foods people can easily incorporate into their daily routines.
Blood pressure benefits weren’t the only good news. These foods also improved how well blood vessels function, measured through a test called flow-mediated dilation, which is how well arteries expand when blood flows through them. This effect occurred regardless of blood pressure changes, suggesting that flavan-3-ols might offer cardiovascular protection beyond just lowering the numbers on a monitor.
The research team combed through medical databases for studies published between 1946 and 2024. They included only randomized controlled trials, the gold standard for medical research, that tested flavan-3-ol-rich foods against placebos.
Bigger Benefits for Those Who Need It Most
The trials varied widely in design and duration, from single-dose studies measuring immediate effects to longer trials lasting up to 26 weeks. Participants ranged from healthy volunteers to people with existing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hypertension. This diversity actually strengthens the findings, showing that benefits appear across different populations and health conditions.
Breaking down the effective doses, the average intervention delivered 586 milligrams of total flavan-3-ols daily. Dark chocolate studies typically used about 56 grams (roughly two ounces) of chocolate with 75% cocoa content. Tea studies provided around 700 milliliters (about three cups) daily. Apple studies used about 340 grams, roughly two medium apples.
Researchers found that blood pressure benefits were most pronounced in people who needed them most. Those with normal blood pressure saw minimal changes, but people with elevated readings or diagnosed hypertension experienced significant drops. This mirrors how prescription blood pressure medications work; they’re most effective in people with higher baseline readings.
They also examined isolated compounds versus whole foods. Studies using purified epicatechin (the main flavan-3-ol in cocoa) or EGCG (common in green tea) showed weaker effects than studies using actual chocolate or tea. This suggests that the benefits come from the complex interplay of compounds in whole foods, not just single active ingredients.
Flow-mediated dilation improved by about 2% on average. This might sound small, but research has shown that every 1% improvement in this measure corresponds to a 10% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.
Across all studies, only 0.4% of participants reported adverse effects, mostly minor stomach upset or headaches that resolved on their own. Many medications, on the other hand, often come with significant side effects.
Currently, the American Heart Association and similar organizations recommend limiting sodium, increasing physical activity, and following dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet to manage blood pressure. Actively including specific flavan-3-ol-rich foods could be equally important, too.
Simple Addition to Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
One thing the researchers note is that food-based sources may appear safe, but high-dose supplements might interact with medications or cause liver problems. They recommend prioritizing whole foods over supplements, especially for people taking other medications.
Green or black tea can benefit your cardiovascular health.
For people with diabetes, the news was less encouraging. The analysis found no consistent blood pressure benefits in studies focusing solely on diabetic participants. People with diabetes might need different approaches or higher doses to see effects.
“While not a replacement for prescribed medications or medical advice, including more flavan-3-ol-rich foods in a daily routine could be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle, especially for those with higher blood pressure. These are findings that, although promising, require ongoing investigation,” says lead study author Christian Heiss from the University of Surrey, in a statement.
This isn’t the only evidence of the benefits of flavan-3-ols. The massive COSMOS trial, published in 2022, followed over 21,000 people and found that cocoa flavanol supplements reduced cardiovascular death by 27%. Combined with this new analysis showing comparable blood pressure effects to medications, the case for including these foods in heart-healthy diets becomes increasingly compelling.
A daily square of dark chocolate or cup of tea costs far less than most blood pressure medications, which can run hundreds of dollars per month. For the average person, that daily cup of tea or piece of dark chocolate might be one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to support cardiovascular health. Just remember to choose dark chocolate with at least 75% cocoa content and count those calories as part of your overall diet. Your blood pressure, and your taste buds, will thank you.
Paper Summary
Methodology
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching PubMed for randomized controlled trials published between 1946 and 2024 that examined flavan-3-ol-rich foods’ effects on blood pressure and blood vessel function. They analyzed 109 publications containing 145 separate trials with 5,205 total participants. The studies tested various flavan-3-ol sources including cocoa products, tea, apples, grape extracts, and isolated compounds like epicatechin and EGCG. Interventions ranged from single doses to daily consumption for up to 26 weeks, with participants including healthy individuals and those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hypertension.
Results
Daily consumption of flavan-3-ol-rich foods (averaging 586 mg total flavan-3-ols) significantly decreased office blood pressure by 2.8/2.0 mmHg systolic/diastolic overall, with much larger effects in people with elevated blood pressure or hypertension (5.9/2.7 mmHg). 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed similar patterns, dropping 3.7/2.6 mmHg overall and 6.8/5.1 mmHg in hypertensive individuals. Flow-mediated dilation improved by 2.0% after single doses and 1.7% with chronic consumption, independent of blood pressure changes. Effects were strongest with cocoa products and tea, while isolated compounds showed weaker benefits than whole foods.
Limitations
The analysis revealed considerable variability between studies that couldn’t be fully explained by investigated factors, limiting evidence strength to “moderate” quality. Many studies were relatively short-term (average 6.6 weeks), leaving questions about long-term sustainability. Not all studies reported flavan-3-ol content consistently, and measurement methods varied. Only participants with diabetes showed no significant blood pressure benefits. The analysis was limited to English-language studies from PubMed, potentially missing relevant research.
Funding and Disclosures
This research was funded by an unrestricted research grant from Lipton Teas & Infusions. Two co-authors work for food companies (Unilever and Lipton), creating potential conflicts of interest. To address this, independent academic authors validated the analyses and reviewed the manuscript. Additional funding came from British Heart Foundation fellowships for some researchers.
Publication Information
The paper, “Impact of flavan-3-ols on blood pressure and endothelial function in diverse populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” was authored by Lagou, V., Greyling, A., Ferruzzi, M.G., Skene, S.S., Dubost, J., Demirkan, A., Prokopenko, I., Shlisky, J., Rodriguez-Mateos, A., & Heiss, C.
It was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in March 2025.
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MORE CHOCOLATE!...........................
What is the mechanism?
Chocolate has a lot of copper. Maybe copper is beneficial. If one has a lot of iron or retinol, they reduce copper.
Considering my consumption of dark chocolate (I prefer 90% cocoa) and tea, I will never die!
I’m surprised that Leftist racists haven’t caught on to this.
When it comes to human races, non-racists follow the King method of judging not by the color of the skin but by the content of the character. (Whether there happens to be a correlation between color and character is a sociological issue, but it isn’t a pure correlation in any case.)
When it comes to chocolate, however, the darker the chocolate, the better it is for health, and the least healthy chocolate is white, which really isn’t chocolate at all, but cocoa butter, anymore than soybean oil is the same as a soybean. The only group that understands this is the women of Japan, who require men to give them dark chocolate on Valentine’s Day, but only return the favor with white “chocolate” on racist-named White Day, March 14.
Another stupid article.
Potassium. Add potassium to your diet folks. 2500mg. Your BP will drop
75% dark chocolate is expensive stuff. Figure about $10 for 2 ounces a day.
Buy cocoa powder and make chocolate milk.
Try an ACV gummie, swallowed. Dropped 25 points on systolic.
“75% dark chocolate is expensive stuff. Figure about $10 for 2 ounces a day.”
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Simply not true. I get Bettergoods (a Walmart house brand) dark chocolate (90%) for $2.47 for 3.5 ounces. I have been buying it since I had a heart attack last summer, after having read an article similar to this. They have cocoa percentages starting at 55% and going up to 95%.
As every woman knows, chocolate is medicine.
Excess iron is stored in the liver, pancreas, heart, and can cause health problems. If a person has a lot of iron, blood ferritin is high and donating blood and bloodletting reduce it.
Good to hear. I did a look online, and found the expensive stuff, it seems.
I get Bettergoods (a Walmart house brand) dark chocolate (90%) for $2.47 for 3.5 ounces. I have been buying it since I had a heart attack last summer, after having read an article similar to this. They have cocoa percentages starting at 55% and going up to 95%.
Hybiscus tea and high dose potassium also work well. That’s part of Mr.GG2s regimen.
Mars, Inc. (yes, the candy company) developed a proprietary Cocoapro™ process that preserves flavanols that are often destroyed in traditional chocolate or cocoa processing. The process is backed by over 20 years of research, with clinical studies (e.g., COSMOS) supporting the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of cocoa flavanols.
Unlike eating dark chocolate, which requires consuming high calories (e.g., 700 calories for equivalent flavanols), CocoaVia provides a concentrated, low-calorie source of flavanols. More details are at CocoaVia.
You can see selected research papers at See the Science. (maybe they should drop that "science" angle!)
Here is a link to the COSMOS trial.
The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) – and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA) is a clinical trial that randomized 21,442 men and women across the United States. The study has investigated whether taking daily cocoa extract supplements containing 500 mg/day cocoa flavanols or a common multivitamin reduces the risk for developing heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other important health outcomes.Of course, Mars, Inc. (which has large cocoa plantations around the world) has a dog in this fight. They have sponsored a lot of research, but there's a lot of independent research, too.Although results from previous studies have been promising, the health benefits of taking these supplements have not yet been proven. The only way to determine whether or not cocoa flavanol and multivitamin supplements help maintain health is by conducting a large-scale trial, such as COSMOS. The main trial and COSMOS-Mind ancillary study findings are now available and can be accessed at Study Findings.
The CocoaVia™ Cardio Health capsules contain 500 mg of cocoa flavanols per serving, a level that has been shown in numerous scientific studies to support heart, brain, and overall health. The CocoaVia™ Memory+ product is formulated to contain 750 mg, a level of cocoa flavanols clinically proven to improve memory. The memory products contain 135mg of (-)-epicatechin per serving (the active molecule in cocoa flavanol compounds). If you want both cognitive and cardiovascular performance, choose the memory products.
Aldi's has good dark chocolate bars fairly inexpensive!...............
What’s ACV?...............🤔
Apple Cider Vinegar.
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