2026-05-31T05:30:15Zhttps://riuma.uma.es/rest/oai/request

oai:riuma.uma.es:10630/325102026-02-03T11:24:59Zcom_10630_2254col_10630_37953

Palma-Morales, Marta Melgar-Locatelli, Sonia Castilla-Ortega, María Estela Rodríguez-Pérez, Celia 2024-09-10T11:09:32Z 2024-09-10T11:09:32Z 2023-07-03 Palma-Morales, M.; Melgar-Locatelli, S.; Castilla-Ortega, E.; Rodríguez-Pérez, C. How Healthy Is It to Fortify Cocoa-Based Products with Cocoa Flavanols? A Comprehensive Review. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1376. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/antiox12071376 https://hdl.handle.net/10630/32510 10.3390/antiox12071376 Background: Cocoa’s healthy benefits may be attributed to the potent antioxidant activity of cocoa polyphenols, mainly flavanols, which have been characterised as existing in a high concentration in cocoa. However, the phenolic composition of cocoa and cocoa-derived products is highly variable, and manufacturing processes might significantly reduce their phenolic content. For that reason, the full characterisation of cocoa and cocoa-derived products before evaluating their bioactivity is crucial. The aim of this review is to analyse the available evidence on the effect of flavanol-fortified cocoa-derived products on human health. (2) Methods: Forty-eight clinical trials focused on the health effect of consuming flavanol-fortified drinks, bars and chocolate have been reviewed, with a total of 1523 subjects. (3) Results: Although studies differ widely in methodology, dosage, duration, and target population, beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa consumption have been observed at doses ranging from 45.3 mg/d to 1078 mg/d, especially on cardiovascular health and cognitive function. (4) Conclusions: Considering the high consumption and acceptability of cocoa and cocoa-derived products, the fortification of cocoa products as well as other highly consumed foods with cocoa flavanols could be an effective strategy for health promotion. eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional Compuestos bioactivos Cacao Flavonoides Alimentos funcionales How Healthy Is It to Fortify Cocoa-Based Products with Cocoa Flavanols? A Comprehensive Review. journal article