Background and objective: The Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is suggested to develop from –among other factorsinadequate diet. To explore its pathophysiology, animal models of diet-induced obesity and its comorbidities are often used, although not all of them produce the same cardiometabolic alterations. Regarding novel therapeutic options, (-)-epicatechin (EPI), the most abundant polyphenol in cacao exerts several beneficial effects on MS features. Therefore, we aimed to test the effects of EPI in the cardiometabolic derangements of rats fed with a diet with added, sugar, saturated fat, added with cholesterol and cholate (Paigen-like diet, PD).