Emerging research suggests that cocoa flavanols may exert protective effects against stroke. This includes the recent COSMOS study from Harvard Medical School showing a 25% reduction in the number of strokes among participants consistently consuming 500mg of cocoa flavanols, daily. The COSMOS study also showed a similar reduction in all major cardiovascular events. Stroke, a… Read more »

Watch 83-year-old Pittsburgh Steeler’s neurosurgeon and Ironman triathlete, Dr. Joe Maroon, share his insights on both brain and cardiovascular benefits of cocoa flavanols.

By supporting improved blood flow, nutrient delivery, and energy efficiency, optimizing NO levels can help you unlock your full potential in the gym and beyond

Watch a day in the life of track star Kassidy Johnson as she trains for the upcoming U.S. Olympic trials, including how she fuels with flavanols! Click Here to Watch Kassidy shattered the Rutgers University school records at both 800 and 1,500 meters in 2023 and is now sharply focused on training for the upcoming… Read more »

You’ve heard it from us, now hear it from renowned longevity guru, Dr. Peter Attia (author NY Times #1 best seller, Outlive)! Attia discusses non-pharmacologic blood pressure management, specifically breaking down how cocoa flavanols reduce blood pressure, with Dr. Rhonda Patrick on her award-winning FoundMyFitness podcast. Click Here to watch! Studies suggest that cocoa flavanols lower blood pressure by increasing nitric oxide production, improving… Read more »

I had the pleasure of meeting Rod at the Falmouth Road Race Expo (at our booth!) five years ago and we have been good friends ever since. A generational talent, Rod is perhaps best known for his epic come from behind win in the 1983 NYC marathon. Rod is an inspiration, not only for his… Read more »

Let’s drink to a happy and healthy new year (FlavaMix smoothies, that is!). We talk a lot about performance on this blog, and living your best life, the operative word there being living. Now we have more data that strongly supports how consuming cocoa flavanols daily reduces strokes, major cardiovascular events and even death, drastically!… Read more »

OK, you guessed it – cocoa flavanols top the list! But keep reading for four other important ways to boost your nitric oxide to promote exercise performance, cognition, cardiovascular health, energy, and sexual function (men and women)! For all of these benefits, nitric oxide (NO) has been dubbed the ‘miracle molecule’. It was even named … Read more »

Imagine turning back your biological clock, boosting your physical performance and health, to levels you enjoyed 10 to 20 years ago. Does that sound too sci fi? In fact it just might be possible! And including cocoa flavanols daily seems to be an important variable in this new longevity equation. Bryan Johnson, the 45 year-old… Read more »

The new FDA qualified health claim — “Cocoa Flavanols in High Flavanol Cocoa Powder May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease” — defines high flavanol cocoa powder as containing at least 4% naturally conserved cocoa flavanols. Standard cocoa powder generally contains only 1% to 1.5%.  But good news, FlavaFans! FlavaMix Performance Cocoa Powder contains nearly 8% naturally conserved cocoa flavanols, roughly… Read more »

Great news Flava fans! A new placebo controlled study of 60 healthy, middle-aged women from Japan shows cocoa flavanols statistically increase positive mood states while reducing negative mood (e.g., depression, fatigue, and anger). This was achieved by consuming a high flavanol cocoa beverage daily, for eight weeks. The study was recently published in the journal… Read more »

OK, we may be a little biased, but comparing the clinical studies, proven benefits and flavor of chocolate vs. beets, it is hard to deny cocoa flavanols BEAT beets! Why the comparison? Turns out cocoa flavanols and beetroot share a similar mechanism, both boosting nitric oxide. And nitric oxide (a.k.a. the miracle molecule) increases circulation,… Read more »

We are excited to share that FlavaNaturals is collaborating with WomenHeart and the University of Pennsylvania on a real world test of cocoa flavanols and everyday heart health.  WomenHeart is the leading heart health advocacy group for Women in the country and has a team of several hundred trained, passionate WomenHeart Champion educators supporting their… Read more »

We spend lots of time in this newsletter writing about the health and performance benefits of cocoa flavanols. But what are flavanols? Flavanols, a subclass of flavonoids, are plant-based, health-supporting nutrients naturally found in green tea, blueberries, grapes, apples, and, of course, cocoa. Cocoa flavanols are a unique blend of flavanols that include single compounds… Read more »

A 1% gain in the flexibility of your arteries lowers your risk of a cardiovascular event (e.g. heart attack, stroke) by about 12.5%, according to pooled data from 49 studies with over 20,000 participants (published in the Journals of the American Heart Assn. and the Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging). Cocoa flavanols (900mg daily) have shown… Read more »

An important new study of over 3,500 adults by researchers from Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard (part of the COSMOS study) found diets low in flavanols to be associated with age related memory loss. The study found that replenishing these nutrients with 500mg of cocoa flavanols, daily, improved performance on memory tests by… Read more »

Listen to top Sports Dietitian Matt Darnell answer these questions about leveraging cocoa flavanols among NFL players and how to boost your personal exercise performance (from the Intelligent Medicine Show with Dr. Ronald Hoffman). Matt is the Director of Sports Science at EXOS and previously the Dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Question 1: Are cocoa… Read more »

“Memory and your ability to focus are directly tied to healthy blood flow to our brains. The science is clear,” says Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Ferid Maurad, “our brains use roughly 20% of our body’s blood supply to power key functions like memory. The better the blood flow, the better your brain health.” Several clinical… Read more »

World-class triathletes like Lisa Bentley contend with extreme fatigue, injuries and self-doubt. But few face the remarkable challenge of also overcoming cystic fibrosis, an often-fatal disease that can produce severe breathing issues. Lisa leveraged the power of positive thinking and intense determination to become one of the world’s top ironman triathletes!  Please enjoy this recording of Lisa… Read more »

Exciting News, Flava Fans! On Feb. 3rd, 2023 the FDA approved a qualified health claim stating that “Cocoa Flavanols in High Flavanol Cocoa Powder May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease”.  The approved health claim is based on a 2018 filing stating that 200mg of cocoa flavanols can support heart health.  The FDA approved the claim but noted that… Read more »