Effects of Cocoa on Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Patients With Stage I Hypertension

Hypothesis #1 To verify the efficacy of an 8-week course of cocoa-containing product consumption on blood pressure in adults with stage 1 hypertension. Specifically, to demonstrate at least 3.5 mmHg improvement in 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure following 8 weeks of treatment with cocoa- containing products when compared to placebo. Our hypothesis is that cocoa-containing product consumption will result in clinically significant improvement of systolic blood pressure at the conclusion of an 8-week course of treatment. Hypothesis #2 To identify a dose-response relationship in which increasingly higher doses of cocoa powder in cocoa-containing products will demonstrate correspondingly greater beneficial effects on blood pressure over an 8-week period in individuals with stage 1 hypertension. Specifically, to investigate the effects of the variation of dose of cocoa powder in cocoa-containing products (i.e. 5 grams or 10 grams of cocoa powder) for 8 weeks on blood pressure. We hypothesize that increasingly higher doses of cocoa powder in cocoa-containing products will demonstrate correspondingly greater beneficial effects on blood pressure. Hypothesis #3 To assess the effects of different doses of cocoa-containing product consumption over an 8-week period on 24-hour diastolic blood pressure, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, serum lipids, theobromine, CRP, glucose, insulin, body weight, and waist circumference in adults with stage 1 hypertension. We hypothesize that consumption of cocoa-containing products will lower diastolic blood pressure; improve endothelial function of our participants; reduce arterial stiffness; improve serum lipids; theobromine; and will have no clinically meaningful effects on body weight and waist circumference, CRP, glucose, or insulin.