Home Ingredients Chocamine® (Cocoa Extract — RFI)
Cardiovascular

Chocamine® (Cocoa Extract — RFI)

Theobroma cacao
Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Chocamine® is a patented cocoa (Theobroma cacao) extract from RFI, standardized for theobromine and cocoa polyphenols. It is marketed for energy, focus and blood flow, but the only study cited on this page is a Cochrane review of ordinary cocoa and blood pressure, which found a small short-term drop of about 2 mmHg. No cited study tested Chocamine itself, and none measured energy, focus or mood.

Studied Dose Products commonly use around 500 mg to 1.5 g of cocoa extract per day. This range comes from product labels rather than from a trial of this extract; no study cited here tested Chocamine at any dose.
Active Compound Cocoa extract standardized for theobromine (more than 12%) with cocoa flavanols and a little caffeine.

Benefits

Energy and focus: not measured in the cited research

Theobromine is a mild stimulant chemically related to caffeine, and it is often described as gentler and longer lasting. That description comes from its chemistry and from product marketing, not from the research cited here: the single study on this page measured blood pressure only and did not look at energy, alertness, focus, jitteriness or crash.

Supported by Trial 1

Cardiovascular support

A 2017 Cochrane review of 35 randomized trials in 1,804 people found that cocoa products lowered blood pressure by roughly 1.76 mmHg, which the authors summarized as a small (about 2 mmHg) effect seen in the short term, on moderate-quality evidence. That work used ordinary cocoa and its flavanols. It did not test this branded extract, which is standardized for a different compound, theobromine.

Supported by Trial 1

Mood and cravings: no supporting study cited

Mood and chocolate cravings are commonly discussed with cocoa, but no study cited on this page measured mood, appetite or cravings, so there is no evidence here to judge that idea by.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Theobromine stimulation

Theobromine is a mild, long-acting relative of caffeine. This is a proposed explanation for an energy or alertness effect, not a demonstrated one, and no study cited on this page tested it.

2

Flavanol nitric-oxide support

Cocoa flavanols are thought to increase nitric-oxide signaling in blood vessels, which is the usual explanation for cocoa's small short-term effect on blood pressure. Worth knowing: flavanols are not the compound this extract is standardized for, which is theobromine.

Clinical trials

1
Cocoa and Blood Pressure: Cochrane Review (generic cocoa, not Chocamine)
PubMed

Cochrane systematic review of the effect of cocoa on blood pressure. (Ried et al. 2017, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)

1,804 adults across 35 randomized trials of cocoa products. None of these trials used Chocamine, and none tested theobromine on its own.

Across 35 trials, blood pressure fell by about 1.76 mmHg, which the authors described as a small (about 2 mmHg) blood-pressure-lowering effect in the short term, on moderate-quality evidence. Longer-term effects were not established. This was generic cocoa, not Chocamine, and the review did not isolate theobromine.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well tolerated, but theobromine is a mild stimulant related to caffeine and can cause restlessness, headache or trouble sleeping in sensitive people, especially at higher doses.
Contains some caffeine and theobromine; can affect sleep if taken late.
Theobromine is toxic to dogs and cats; keep away from pets.

Important Drug interactions

Stimulant medications — possible additive effects; use caution.
Avoid taking late in the day if sensitive to stimulants.
Tell your doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Frequently asked questions about Chocamine® (Cocoa Extract — RFI)

What is Chocamine?

Chocamine® is a patented cocoa (Theobroma cacao) extract from RFI, standardized for theobromine and cocoa polyphenols. It is marketed for energy, focus and blood flow, but the only study cited on this page is a Cochrane review of ordinary cocoa and blood pressure, which found a small short-term drop of about 2 mmHg.

What is Chocamine used for?

Chocamine is researched primarily for Cardiovascular. Theobromine is a mild stimulant chemically related to caffeine, and it is often described as gentler and longer lasting. That description comes from its chemistry and from product marketing, not from the research cited here: the single stud…

What is the recommended dosage of Chocamine?

The clinically studied dose is Products commonly use around 500 mg to 1.5 g of cocoa extract per day. This range comes from product labels rather than from a trial of this extract; no study cited here tested Chocamine at any dose. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Chocamine safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, Chocamine is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well tolerated, but theobromine is a mild stimulant related to caffeine and can cause restlessness, headache or trouble sleeping in sensitive people, especially at higher doses. Contains some caffeine and theobromine; can affect sleep if taken late. It may also interact with some medications. Chocamine is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Chocamine interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Stimulant medications — possible additive effects; use caution. Avoid taking late in the day if sensitive to stimulants. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Chocamine?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Chocamine as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 1 cited reference summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(1 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Ried K, Fakler P, Stocks NP. Effect of cocoa on blood pressure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;4(4):CD008893..PubMedUsed to support: Cochrane review of generic cocoa products (35 trials, 1,804 people) finding about a 1.76 mmHg short-term blood-pressure reduction. It did not test Chocamine or isolated theobromine, and did not measure energy, focus or mood.