Decades of research show cocoa flavanols support heart, brain, and whole-body health by promoting healthy blood flow. They do this by acting on blood vessels, increasing the body’s production of a compound called nitric oxide (NO). NO causes the thin muscles in and around the blood vessel walls to relax, allowing the blood vessel to dilate, or widen. We have miles of blood vessels in our bodies, so their ability to function well is critical to our entire cardiovascular system—and everything it impacts: bones, muscles, tissue, organs, metabolic system—basically, our entire bodies. So in addition to supporting heart health, flavanols improve a number of critical functions throughout our body, including maintaining healthy blood pressure levels and delivering more oxygen and nutrients to your brain. In fact, the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study shows cocoa flavanols preserved and even reversed age-related memory decline in healthy older adults!