Your blood vessels do much more than carry blood throughout your body.
They're constantly responding to signals that help regulate your circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your heart, brain, and every other organ.
And the foods you eat contain natural compounds that can influence how this system works.
They're called bioactives, and they're a major part of my work studying food as medicine.
One group of bioactives I want you to know about is flavanols, naturally found in foods like tea, apples, berries, and cocoa.
How Cocoa Flavanols Support Your Blood Vessels
Inside your blood vessels is a thin layer of cells called the endothelium.
These cells help regulate blood flow by producing nitric oxide, a molecule that signals your blood vessels to relax.
And cocoa flavanols can help support this process, promoting healthy circulation and cardiovascular function.
Think about that. A natural compound found in cocoa beans can influence how your blood vessels function.
And scientists have been studying this connection for decades. But could those effects translate into long-term heart health benefits?
What a Major Clinical Trial Revealed
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, conducted a major randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial called COSMOS, involving more than 21,000 older adults.
Participants received either a cocoa extract supplement containing 500 mg of cocoa flavanols daily or a placebo.
When researchers analyzed participants who consistently took their supplements, they found 39% fewer cardiovascular deaths in the cocoa flavanol group compared with placebo.
Why I Choose CocoaVia™
One challenge with flavanols is that their amounts can vary considerably from food to food.
I include flavanol-rich foods in my diet, but for a consistent daily amount, I use CocoaVia™, a plant-based supplement made with Cocoapro™, a proprietary cocoa extract developed to preserve and concentrate the flavanols naturally found in cocoa beans.
One scoop of CocoaVia's 500 mg powder provides 500 mg of cocoa flavanols—the same daily amount and cocoa extract ingredient studied in COSMOS.
What I especially like is how easily CocoaVia fits into my routine. I simply stir a scoop into my morning coffee after it's brewed.
It's a convenient way to get a consistent, clinically studied amount of cocoa flavanols every day.
I've partnered with CocoaVia to offer you 20% off your first order with code DRLI20.
Cocoa flavanols are another example of how the natural compounds in food can help support our body's health defense systems.
To your health,
Dr. William Li
Dr. William Li
World-renowned physician, scientist, and author of New York Times Best Sellers: Eat To Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself and Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer
