Loading…
We use essential cookies (authentication, your saved goals/stack) by default. With your permission we’ll also enable privacy-respecting analytics (Vercel Web Analytics, anonymous load-time metrics) and error-replay diagnostics (Sentry — DOM snapshots only when an error fires) so we can fix bugs faster. Learn more about cookies
Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Cocoa Flavanols vs Sarcosine: Cocoa Flavanols has the stronger overall evidence (5 vs 5/10); they're alternatives for brain aging support — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Cocoa Flavanols wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Too few graded studies
0 of 1 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
200-500 mg cocoa flavanols daily (COSMOS used 500 mg a day). A cited dose-response meta-analysis put the peak endothelial benefit near 710 mg, above the highest dose in the cited trials.
Any time of day
Standardized cocoa flavanol extract (epicatechin-standardized)
500-2000 mg/day in trials (schizophrenia commonly 2 g/day add-on; OCD trials 500-2000 mg/day)
Morning
Sarcosine (N-methylglycine)
2-8 weeks
Acute to 8 weeks
Years
Throughout use
2-6 weeks
6-12 weeks
2-10 weeks
Throughout use
Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial.
Am J Clin Nutr (2022) · Rct · n=21442
21,442 older US adults, 500mg flavanols/day, median 3.6 years, double-blind placebo-controlled
Effect of cocoa on blood pressure.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2017) · Meta analysis
Cochrane meta-analysis of flavanol-rich cocoa vs control
Dose-response relationship between cocoa flavanols and human endothelial function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Food Funct (2019) · Meta analysis
15 articles, 18 intervention arms pooled
Efficacy and cognitive effect of sarcosine (N-methylglycine) in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials.
J Psychopharmacol (2020) · Meta analysis · n=326
Pooled 7 double-blind RCTs, 326 patients with schizophrenia
Inhibition of glycine transporter-I as a novel mechanism for the treatment of depression.
Biol Psychiatry (2013) · Rct · n=40
6-week randomized double-blind citalopram-controlled trial in 40 patients with major depressive disorder
Sarcosine therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: a prospective, open-label study.
J Clin Psychopharmacol (2011) · Open label · n=25
10-week open-label trial, 25 analyzable OCD patients, 500-2000 mg/day
Cocoa Flavanols has a higher evidence score (5/10 vs 5/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For brain aging support, Cocoa Flavanols has a higher relevance score (34 vs 24).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.