Consumption of Flavan-3-ol-Rich Foods may help Lower Blood Pressure: Study

According to a meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, foods rich in flavan-3-ols-such as cocoa, tea, and certain fruits-may help lower blood pressure. Flavan-3-ols, found in cocoa, tea, and certain fruits, show promise in improving blood pressure (BP) and vascular function, but are currently not used for cardiovascular prevention.

This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of flavan-3-ol-rich interventions on BP and endothelial function.PubMed was searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published 1946-03/2024 on BP and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) after flavan-3-ol-rich food, beverage, or supplement intake. Random-effects meta-analysis of 109 publications including 145 RCTs and 5,205 participants was performed.

Results: Flavan-3-ol interventions included epicatechin, epigallocatechin-gallate, cocoa products, tea, grape extract, and apples delivering 586 mg (95%CI 510,662) total flavan-3-ols. Interventions decreased office (-2.8 [95%CI -3.9, -1.7]/-2.0 [-2.6, -1.3] mmHg) and 24h-ambulatory BP (-3.7 [-5.8, -1.6]/-2.6 [-4.5, -0.8] mmHg) after chronic repetitive consumption. Effects were larger with elevated and hypertensive baseline BP or categorical hypertension (office: -5.9 [-10.0, -1.8]/-2.7 [-4.4, -1.0] mmHg, 24h-ABP: -6.8 [-16.3,2.8]/-5.1 [-12.5,2.2] mmHg).