Epicatechin

Flavanol

Dietary flavanol present in cocoa and other plants and sold as an isolated supplement. Small human trials examine vascular or cognitive biomarkers, but evidence does not establish broad performance benefits.

Pharmacokinetic model

A route-level PK model for epicatechin is being prepared from published data. Dosing references, studies, and documented interactions are below; the app catalog is updated as models are validated.

Key facts

Category
Flavanol
Suggested cadence
once daily

Research behind this entry

  1. Effects of the pure flavonoids epicatechin and quercetin on vascular function and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial Dower JI, Geleijnse JM, Gijsbers L, Zock PL, Kromhout D, Hollman PC · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015 DOI

    Crossover trial isolated epicatechin and quercetin effects on vascular and cardiometabolic markers. Biomarker changes in a controlled short trial do not establish broad clinical or athletic benefit.

  2. The Impact of Epicatechin on Human Cognition: The Role of Cerebral Blood Flow Haskell-Ramsay CF, Schmitt J, Actis-Goretta L · Nutrients, 2018 DOI

    Review considered epicatechin, cerebral blood flow, and cognition while emphasizing the limited direct human evidence.

2 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.