(newsmaxhealth.com) — That heart-shaped box of chocolate you got for Valentine’s just might have some benefits for your real heart, a new study hints.
The study, which combined the results of 42 small clinical trials, found that people fed chocolate or cocoa for a few weeks to months had small dips in their blood pressure and improved blood vessel function.
On average, chocolate eaters shaved a couple points from their blood pressure and showed a small improvement in “flow-mediated dilation” � a measure of how well the blood vessels respond to increased blood flow.
They also had a dip in their levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. High insulin levels are linked to an increased risk of Type-2 diabetes.
The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, are far from the first to connect chocolate to heart health.
A number of widely reported studies have found that chocolate lovers seem to have lower rates of certain heart risks, like high blood pressure.
But those types of studies, known as observational studies, cannot prove cause-and-effect. People who indulge in chocolate may have other factors in their lives that explain the better heart health.
In contrast, the new study focused on clinical trials where researchers randomly assigned people to eat chocolate or not, then watched for changes in chocolate eaters’ blood pressure, cholesterol, and other heart risk factors.
The fact that there were some improvements suggests that chocolate may have some actual benefits, according to the researchers, led by Lee Hooper of Norwich Medical School in the UK.
But Hooper cautioned that the studies in the analysis were small and had their flaws. And possibly most important, none have been large or long enough to show whether there’s any effect on a person’s risk of heart disease or stroke.
“My take-away message would be that if people like dark chocolate, then eating a little in place of other ‘treat’ foods is fine, and may be beneficial,” Hooper told Reuters Health in an email.
“However,” she added, “the evidence is not yet good enough to suggest that we should all be doing this.”
An expert not involved in the study agreed.
“From a practical perspective it is premature to advise individuals to consume chocolate or cocoa to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition lab at Tufts University in Boston.
That’s due to a number of reasons, not the least of which is calorie control, according to Lichtenstein.
Another is that it’s not clear how chocolate would have heart benefits. Compounds called flavonoids are the “presumed” player, Lichtenstein said in an email, but they have not been adequately tested to see whether they are, in fact, effective ways to protect your heart.
And even if they are, Lichtenstein said, “little information is available to the consumer for the level of flavonoids in a specific chocolate product.”
(13 votes, average: 4.69 out of 5)
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But how good is dark chocolate for you if you are unable to stop eating it until you finish the entire bar?
What is the suggested daily consumption amount?
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ABOUT CHOCOLATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE. I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON DAILY CONSUMPTION.
REGARDS
I personally listen to my body when it comes to these things. I buy 85% dark organic chocolate in a 12oz bar that contains only 8 grams of sugar. It is not something everyone loves. I do love the taste and am trying to avoid sugar. I find that a couple of squares does the trick, ie leaves me satisfied and not craving more. And eaten in this way, chocolate does not make you fat. It has good saturated fats and I would worry more about breads, potatoes and other starches that really do make you fat. If you give up all those carbs, you can enjoy your chocolate without guilt.
It’s not! It’s been proven as a cardiac stimulant…..don’t eat chocolate if u have bhp or heart problems…
Wll it has caffeine in it, but I don’t think it alone will raise your bp. Now if you have it with a strong cup of coffee…. But I think your body adjusts to these things and at least in my experience, neither has much of an effect on my bp.
WOW THATS THE BEST NEWS I HAVE HEARD LATELY . THANK YOU :>)
In America they won’t do any long term testing on natural alternities for lowering blood pressure because thedrug companies can’t make big bucks off natural. So we are stuck with the drugs unless we do a little testing on our own. I have foud that eating three squares of dark chocolate did lower my blood pressure by 4 points after 3 months. To make up for the calories I exercised more and cut back on deserts. Other ways to lower blood pressure is more potasium,more magnesium,lose weight,exercise,deep breathing. I was able to quit 50% of the drugs the stupid doctors had overmedicated me with for HBP. Garlic didn’t do a thing for my blood pressure.
Dark chocolate is great but took a while to really get used to it.
On a side note stay away from the chocolate using “SOY”! I only eat Lindt 85% or 90% and like I said it took a while. Two squares a yummy treat with 2.5 grams of sugar.
As for the caffine…..wow people really need to let that go.
There was a report some time ago that dark chocolate was good for your liver as well. Why is this not mentioned?
MUKTA VATI Works for me..
You need to eat dark chocolate 60% cocoa or above for benifits.