Longevity Molecules V - Cocoa Flavanols - Part 4 - Supplements
Taking supplemental cocoa flavanols to maximize healthy longevity
Here is our final installment on Cocoa Flavanols!
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We have already established that it is challenging getting a “therapeutic dose” of cocoa flavanols from dietary sources (i.e. chocolate) without consuming an obscene amount of calories and sugar. Further, it is hard to be sure that there are enough cocoa flavanols in dietary sources as levels of flavanols are highly variable and rarely measured. It is in cases like these in which a quality supplement truly shines.
There are many different cocoa flavanol brands in the market, but one of them shines above the rest due to rigorous quality assurance, supply chain, scientific expertise, and clinical data backing up the product. In this section I will highlight:
Optimal daily dosage of cocoa flavanol supplements.
The most promising cocoa flavanol supplement in the market today.
Risks and benefits of cocoa flavanol supplementation.
Supplementation
Dosage
500 mg/day supplement for a preventative approach.
You can start off with ~200 mg/day and gradually increase your dose (over the span of a few weeks) based on how you are tolerating the cocoa flavanols.
For a more clinical approach in vulnerable individuals (cardiovascular disease, smokers, individuals with significant cognitive decline), you can consider gradually increasing your dose from 500 to 1000 mg/day.
Regimen
A daily supplementation regimen is ideal.
Cocoa flavanols are rapidly metabolized and cleared from the body. Their effects on cellular health are temporary and need consistent reinforcement.
Several clinical trials have validated the safety and efficacy of daily supplementation over the span of several months/years.
Although intermittent supplementation regimens may be effective, more data is required to validate this concept.
Consider taking your supplement alongside your first meal.
Taking cocoa flavanols on an empty stomach may cause nausea.
Cocoa flavanol supplements often contain significant amounts of caffeine. Taking your supplement too late in the day can lead to reduced sleep quality.
Cocoa flavanols have been shown to reduce the absorption of “bad” fats. Consider taking your cocoa flavanol supplement when you’re eating a particularly fatty meal.
As with any longevity intervention, track how you feel (i.e. journal), how it is influencing your physiology (blood test), and (ideally) how much cocoa flavanols are actually getting into your body.
Cocoa flavanol biomarkers are essentially “searchable” chemical hashtags to measure how much flavanols are in the blood.
Mars Inc. is a company that has developed biomarker assays to actually measure the quantity of cocoa flavanols that are making their way into your body when you consume their supplements (CocoaVia).
These biomarker assays measure microbially derived byproducts that are directly related to the amount of flavanols being absorbed into the bloodstream.
Stay tuned to our longevity toolkits/newsletter to be informed of when this biomarker assay is available to the public!
Choosing a company/product
Not every company that boasts their product has “high cocoa flavanol levels” actually uses a rigorous measurement process to quantify the amount of flavanols in their product.
Within the realm of cocoa flavanol supplements, CocoaVia stands above the rest. There are several reasons for this, first and foremost:
Their product is backed by over 150 scientific studies including several clinical trials.
Preserving cocoa flavanols during the extraction process (from cocoa beans) is key. Their scientists have developed a proprietary methodology “Cocoapro® process”, which gently extracts cocoa flavanols from high-quality cocoa beans, preserving them in the highest concentration available in a supplement today.
They measure the amount of cocoa flavanols in their final product to make sure it matches their claim.
Who is most likely to benefit from supplementation based on scientific data?
Smokers
Supported by several clinical studies, smoker’s have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired nitric oxide (NO) signalling (cocoa flavanols boost NO signalling), and are in a more compromised physiological state. Frankly, they have more room for improvement.
Women
Cocoa flavanols provide woman-specific benefits in counter-acting cognitive deficits following poor sleep (including chronic sleep deprivation or aiding nighttime workers).
Women have a higher risk of mortality from heart attacks. Cocoa flavanols specifically boost resilience and recovery following a heart attack.
Women have a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and cocoa flavanols are neuroprotective.
Individuals looking for a cognitive performance boost.
Several studies suggest that cocoa flavanols act as nootropics to boost memory, focus, and mental endurance.
Risks
Most cocoa flavanol supplements contain both caffeine and theobromine. This may cause side effects (jitters, trouble falling asleep, heartburn) and may interfere with the actions of certain drugs.
As a general rule, the higher percentage of cocoa solids, the higher the caffeine content.
A CocoaVia supplement contains about 30 mg of caffeine. In comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 100-200 milligrams of caffeine.
They can be contaminated with cadmium. If using, you should check the appropriate GMP and purity certifications (i.e. microbes, heavy metals, etc).
For cadmium, you do not want to consume more than 3 ug/day, and for adults not more than 4 ug.
I can honestly say that for me, cocoa flavanols are at the top of my list in terms of supplements that boost both longevity and performance. Needless to say, they are a staple within my supplement stack. A quality cocoa flavanol supplement has the potential to address two of the top three leaders of mortality:
Cardiovascular disease (#1).
Alzheimer’s (neurodegenerative) disease (#3).
Further, you do not have to wait long to feel the benefits of your cocoa flavanol supplement as it acts as a nootropic to boost focus, memory, and mood in the short term.
Speaking of mood, engaging with a quality dark chocolate ( > 70% cocoa, fair trade, from a quality company) is a powerful way to boost your spirits. Getting cocoa flavanols from dark chocolate clearly does not offer the same therapeutic impact as cocoa flavanol supplementation, but a small square or two of dark chocolate may play an integral role as part of a more comprehensive preventative strategy to reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases over the span of decades. At the very least, it can be a powerful behavioral modifier for individuals with a habitual sweet tooth. Next time you go for that late-night bowl of ice cream, remember this protocol and grab some dark chocolate instead. This change alone can have a profound influence on your metabolic health over the long term.
This marks the completion of the Longevity Molecules series of our longevity toolkits. Stay tuned for next week’s post as we will begin a deeper dive into the fascinating realm of female (reproductive) longevity. Women represent half of our global population and have an immense influence on each emerging generation of human beings, how our societies operate, and the health of our environment. This is not to say that men do not (we absolutely do), but there are distinct physiological, psychological, and neurobiological influences that women have that are enforced through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Our microbiome, our mitochondria, our epigenetic programming (and many times our experiences) are disproportionately influenced by our mothers. Women make the majority of household decisions, are the primary caretakers of children and the elderly, and have a disproportionate influence on childhood education. Yet, women get the short straw on several different aspects of health and longevity. At Mykigai Health we want to be at the forefront of the shift to democratize longevity for all. We are hedging our bets that the most impactful way to catalyze this shift is by addressing the “beating heart” of our species – women’s health and longevity!
As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or would like to collaborate– email me: girish@mykigai.com.
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