Given the increasing availability of ready-to-eat meals and the potential beneficial effects of cocoa flavanols on human health, the objective of this trial was to assess the influence on oxidative status, blood glucose and lipid profile of the daily consumption of ready-to-eat meals
supplemented with cocoa extract within a hypocaloric diet on middle-aged overweight/obese subjects. Moreover, we analysed whether the effect of cocoa consumption on oxidative status depends on gender.