....... I've got to look after my health and heart : Choc full of good health
Dark chocolate can not only soothe your soul but can also lower blood pressure, researchers have reported.
The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.
"Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate's effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension," said Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University in Boston, who led the study.
"This study is not about eating more chocolate," he added. "It suggests that cocoa flavonoids appear to have benefits on vascular function and glucose sensitivity."
Scientists are far from being able to make specific recommendations for patients, and nutritionists have urged people to be cautious because chocolate is high in fat, sugar and calories. (I'm ignoring this)
Blumberg and colleagues at the University of L'Aquila in Italy studied 10 men and 10 women with high blood pressure. For 15 days, one half ate a daily 3.5 ounce (100gm) bar of specially formulated, flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, while the other half ate the same amount of white chocolate. Then each group "crossed over".
"White chocolate, which has no flavonoids, was the perfect control food because it contains all the other ingredients and calories found in dark chocolate," Blumberg said.
"It's important to note that the dark chocolate we used had a high level of flavonoids, giving it a slightly bittersweet taste. Most Americans eat milk chocolate, which has a low amount of these compounds."
Writing in the journal Hypertension, Blumberg's team said when the volunteers ate the special dark chocolate, they had a 12mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and a 9mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom one) on average.
Eating dark chocolate also seemed to improve how the body used insulin, and reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol by about 10 per cent on average.
"The findings do not suggest that people with high blood pressure should eat lots of dark chocolate in lieu of other important blood pressure-reduction methods, such as medication and exercise," Blumberg said. (to be eaten in conjunction with? )
"Rather, we are identifying specific flavonoids that can have a benefit on blood pressure and insulin sensitivity."
- REUTERS http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?...ectID=10337192