Professor Koga's research group has revealed that consuming high-cocoa chocolate improves bowel movements in women prone to constipation.Utsunomiya Campus

A joint research group consisting of Professor Jinichiro Koga of Environment and Biotechnology Course Department of Integrated Science and Engineering and Engineering, Faculty of Faculty of Science and Engineering and Technology, Teikyo University, and Meiji Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Bunjiro Yao), has demonstrated in a human study that the continued consumption of high-cocoa chocolate improves bowel movements in women prone to constipation and increases butyrate-producing bacteria in the intestinal flora (intestinal bacterial flora).

High-cocoa chocolate contains a high amount of cocoa polyphenols, and the health benefits of cocoa polyphenols have been widely reported both in Japan and overseas. However, high-cocoa chocolate also contains indigestible cocoa protein, and there are reports that consuming this cocoa protein increases stool volume. Therefore, to confirm the effects of consuming high-cocoa chocolate, which is rich in cocoa protein, on humans, we conducted an evaluation study to assess the improvement of bowel movements in people prone to constipation. Women aged 20 to 50 who were prone to constipation were asked to consume 25g of high-cocoa chocolate per day for two weeks. Results showed that the high-cocoa chocolate increased the frequency and volume of bowel movements in the women, and increased the number of butyrate-producing bacteria in their intestinal flora. Furthermore, it was suggested that this improvement in bowel movements may be due to the effects of the cocoa protein contained in the chocolate. Constipation is not only a serious problem that reduces quality of life (QOL), but is also known to be involved in various diseases. However, it has been suggested that the butyrate produced by butyrate-producing bacteria may not only improve bowel movements but may also be involved in the prevention of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colon cancer, and lifestyle-related diseases.
Going forward, we will continue our research into the improvement of constipation through the consumption of high-cocoa chocolate, and explore the possibility of disease prevention. Furthermore, we will explore the potential of various cocoa-derived components beyond cocoa protein, and contribute to the health of the mind and body through chocolate.

The results of this research were published in the international academic journal Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

Press release here
Read the research paper here
For more information about Professor Koga, click here.
For more information about the Koga Laboratory, click here.

To the topic List