Table 2.

Characteristics of trials excluded from the meta-analysis

Trial; location	Study design; treatment/control groups	Dosage; duration	Active ingredients per daily dosage	Mean age; mean BMI	N treatment/control	Reason for exclusion
Grassi et al. [19]; Italy	Crossovera,c	100 g/d	500 mg polyphenols	33.9 yr;	15/15	Same population and protocol as studied in Grassi et al. [11]
	Dark/white chocolate	15 d		22.6
Allen et al. [34], Erdman et al. [35]; USA	Crossoverb;	22g/d	Not reported	44.7 yr;	44/44	No cocoa-free control group
	Chocolate + plant sterols/chocolate + no plant sterols	28 d (4 wk)		27.8
Balzer et al. [36]; USA	Parallel;	3 drink mix/d	963 mg flavanols;	63.8 yr;	21/20	No mean SBP/DBP (SD) reported
	High/low-flavanol drink	30 d (4 wk)	control: 75 mg flavanols	32.1
Faridi et al. [37]; USA	Crossovera,c;	74 g bar with 22 g cocoa/d;	821 mg flavanols	53 yr;	44/44	Duration < 2 wk
	Dark chocolate/placebo bar	Single dose, 1 d		30
Ried et al. (phase 2) [23]; Australia	Crossoverd;	50 g/d; control: 1 capsule/d;	750 mg polyphenols;	53.1 yr;	26/26	Crossover of two active treatment groups, no true control group
	Dark chocolate/Tomato extract capsules	56 days (8 wks)	control: tomato extract (15 mg lycopene)	26.6
Almoosawi et al. [38]; UK	Crossovera,c;	20 g/d;	1000 mg polyphenols;	31 yr;	14/14	Two dosages, no true control group
	Dark chocolate dosage 1/dosage 2	14 days	control: 500 mg	27.7

^a7-day cocoa/flavanol-free run-in period.

^b2-week run-in period.

^c7-day washout period before crossover.

^d4-week washout period.

For abbreviations, see Table 1 footnote.