Cocoa-rich chocolate and body composition in postmenopausal women. A randomized clinical trial.

During menopause, women undergo a series of physiological changes that include a redistribution of fat tissue. This study was designed to investigate the effect of adding 10g of cocoa-rich chocolate to the habitual diet of postmenopausal women daily on body composition. We conducted a 6-month, 2-arm randomized, controlled trial. Postmenopausal women (57.2±3.6 years, n = 132) were recruited in primary care clinics. Participants in the control group (CG) did not receive any intervention. Those of the intervention group (IG) received 10g daily of 99%-cocoa chocolate in addition to their habitual diet for 6-months. This quantity comprises 59 Kcal and 65.4 mg of polyphenols. The primary outcomes were the between-group differences in body composition variables, measured by impendancemetry at the end of the study. The main effect of the intervention showed a favourable reduction in the IG with respect to the CG in body fat mass (-0.63 kg [95%CI: -1.15 to -0.11], p=0.019), (Cohen's d = -0.450) and body fat percentage (-0.79% [95%CI: -1.31 to -0.26], p=0.004), (Cohen's d = -0.539). A non-significant decrease was also observed in body mass index (-0.20 kg/m2 [95%CI: -0.44 to 0.03], p=0.092), (Cohen's d = -0.345). Both the body fat mass and the body fat percentage showed a decrease in the IG for the 3 body segments analysed (trunk, arms and legs). Daily addition of 10 g of cocoa-rich chocolate to the habitual diet of postmenopausal women reduces their body fat mass and body fat percentage without modifying their weight.