SynthesisNutrients2021
The Health Effects of Chocolate and Cocoa: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of Intolerance to Amines and Salicylates in Individuals with Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Cardiovascular Effects of Chocolate and Wine-Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Signal-Corrected LC-MS/MS Approaches in Amino Acid and Biogenic Amine Profiling for Chemometric Characterization of Commercial Dark Chocolates According to Cocoa Content and Manufacturer.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Revalorizing Cocoa Endocarp Residues as Novel Ingredients With Potential Prebiotic Effects: A Step Toward Circular Economy.Journal of food science · 2026Article
- The effects of cocoa products in individuals with metabolic syndrome and related diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders · 2026Review
- The Inhibition of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms following Exposure to Different Chocolate Ingredients.European journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Article
- Beyond Taste: The Impact of Chocolate on Cardiovascular and Steatotic Liver Disease Risk Factors.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Changes in the mucosal immunity induced by diets enriched with cocoa and hesperidin in intensively trained and exhausted rats.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Potential Role of Dietary Antioxidants During Skin Aging.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- Topical Antioxidant Cocoa Polyphenol Skin Penetration.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2024Article
- Characterization of dark chocolates based on polyphenolic profiles and antioxidant activity.Journal of food science · 2024Article
- Integration of network-based approaches for assessing variations in metabolic profiles of alkalized and non-alkalized commercial cocoa powders.Food chemistry: X · 2024Article
- Chocolate Ganaches: Formulation, Processing and Stability in View of the New Production Trends.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- The Relationship between Chocolate Consumption and the Severity of Acne Lesions-A Crossover Study.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Research on Application of Japanese Quince (Nutrients · 2024Article
- Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the small auxin-up RNA gene family during zygotic and somatic embryo maturation of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao).Genomics & informatics · 2024Article
- Impact of Diet and Nutrition in Patients with Acne Vulgaris.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Clovamide and Its Derivatives-Bioactive Components ofFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Chocolate has a history of human consumption tracing back to 400 AD and is rich in polyphenols such as catechins, anthocyanidins, and pro anthocyanidins. As chocolate and cocoa product consumption, along with interest in them as functional foods, increases worldwide, there is a need to systematically and critically appraise the available clinical evidence on their health effects. A systematic search was conducted on electronic databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) using a search strategy and keywords. Among the many health effects assessed on several outcomes (including skin, cardiovascular, anthropometric, cognitive, and quality of life), we found that compared to controls, chocolate or cocoa product consumption significantly improved lipid profiles (triglycerides), while the effects of chocolate on all other outcome parameters were not significantly different. In conclusion, low-to-moderate-quality evidence with short duration of research (majority 4-6 weeks) showed no significant difference between the effects of chocolate and control groups on parameters related to skin, blood pressure, lipid profile, cognitive function, anthropometry, blood glucose, and quality of life regardless of form, dose, and duration among healthy individuals. It was generally well accepted by study subjects, with gastrointestinal disturbances and unpalatability being the most reported concerns.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.