Cocoa consumption significantly reduces markers of oxidative stress in the adult population, affirming its important role in the human metabolic pathway.
This study systematically reviewed interventional studies to determine the impact of cocoa consumption on oxidative stress markers in adults. Numerous databases, including PubMed, Cochrane's library, Science Direct, Scopus, Google scholar and ISI web of science, were searched for all relevant literature up until March 2019. The Jadad scale was utilized to grade the quality of each study. Out of 1402 studies, 48 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and 16 were selected for meta-analysis.
The pooled data from the random-effect model provided evidence that cocoa consumption effectively lowered malondialdehyde and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, but no significant changes were noted in other markers of oxidative stress. The results underscored cocoa's essential function in the human metabolic process by its potential to decrease oxidative stress.
