Safety and efficacy of cocoa flavanol intake in healthy adults: a randomized, controlled, double-masked trial.

Background: Evidence from dietary intervention studies shows that the intake of flavanols and procyanidins can be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Nevertheless, there is a clear need for advancing our understanding with regard to safe amounts of intake for these bioactives.

Objective: The aim was to investigate in healthy adults the effects of cocoa flavanol (CF) intake amount and intake duration on blood pressure, platelet function, metabolic variables, and potential adverse events (AEs).