Cocoa flavanols, natural bioactive compounds in the cocoa bean, have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as blood pressure, HDL and LDL cholesterol, insulin and inflammation, but we don’t know whether these effects will translate into real reductions in CVD rates.
Despite the prevalence of multivitamin use in the U.S. (over one-third of U.S. adults take multivitamins) they have not been shown to be effective at improving health. A recent large scale trial in male physicians found no effect on CVD but suggested that multivitamins reduced the risk of cancer by 8 percent. In older men (ages ≥ 70), the risk reduction was 18%. We are interested in determining whether these commonly used supplements can help reduce the risk of cancer, particularly in older women.
Starting in 2015, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) is conducting a five-year, large-scale randomized controlled trial to test the effect of a concentrated cocoa extract and multivitamin supplements in reducing risks of CVD and cancer. This trial is the first study large enough to assess the effects of cocoa extracts and multivitamins on these health conditions that are so important in later ages. Researchers are interested in determining whether concentrated cocoa extract can help reduce heart disease and stroke and whether commonly used multivitamin supplements can help reduce the risk of cancer, particularly in older women.