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Herb library · Herb · Theobroma cacao

Cocoa nibs (cacao)

Crushed pieces of roasted cacao beans, the raw material of chocolate, eaten as a bitter, crunchy snack or baking ingredient. In COSMOS, a trial of over 21,000 older adults, a cocoa flavanol extract did not significantly lower cardiovascular events, blood sugar problems or cognitive decline, though deaths from heart disease were lower. Cocoa products, nibs included, can carry cadmium and lead.

Traditional use

Cacao beans are fermented, dried and roasted to make cocoa and chocolate; the cocoa products tested on U.S. shelves in 2018 came from Latin America and Africa. Nibs are the roasted bean broken into pieces. Cocoa extracts are sold for their flavanols, the plant compounds tested in the trials below for heart and brain health.

What studies show

  • Limited· shows no benefit

    Heart disease: in COSMOS, 21,442 U.S. adults aged 60 and over took a cocoa extract (500 mg flavanols a day) or placebo for a median of 3.6 years. Total cardiovascular events were not significantly lower (a 10% difference that could have been chance), but deaths from cardiovascular disease were 27% lower, a secondary finding the authors say needs more research.

  • Limited· shows no benefit

    Memory and diabetes: in the same trial, the cocoa extract had no effect on thinking and memory over 3 years (2,262 people tested) and did not lower the chance of developing type 2 diabetes (18,381 people).

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteCocoa products can contain cadmium and lead from the soil and processing. In a 2018 test of cocoa powder, chocolate and cocoa nib products bought in the U.S., cadmium ran up to 3.15 mg/kg and was higher in products with more cocoa solids and in cocoa from Latin America. Nibs are pure cocoa, so eat them in moderation, especially for children and in pregnancy.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial (Am J Clin Nutr, 2022) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial (Alzheimers Dement, 2023) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Cocoa Extract Supplementation and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) Randomized Clinical Trial (Diabetes Care, 2023) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Cadmium and lead in cocoa powder and chocolate products in the US Market (Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill, 2018) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.