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Cocoa Could Make Your Day, Cologne Researcher Finds
A Cologne researcher has found that eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day is associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse affects, according to a study published in the July 4 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Why dark chocolate? Chocolate lovers will know that the darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa content. Previous research has shown a link between a cocoa compound, flavanol, and decreased blood pressure. But weight gain and other consequence of high sugar, fat and calorie intake were still a concern. Dr. Dirk Taubert, MD, of the University Hospital of Cologne, and colleagues found that trial participants who were given just 6.3 grams (30 calories) of dark chocolate a day saw a small reduction in blood pressure after 18 weeks. Participants who were given the same amount of white chocolate had no comparable change in blood pressure. “Although the magnitude of the BP reduction was small, the effects are clinically noteworthy,” the study authors wrote. “Whereas long-term adherence to complex behavioral changes is ofent low and requires continous counseling, adoption of small amounts of flavanol-rich cocoa into the habitual diet is a dietary modification that is easy to adhere to and therefore may be a promising behavioral approach to lower blood pressure in individuals with above-optimal blood pressure. Future studies should evaluate the effects of dark chocolate in other populations and evaluate long-term outcomes,” the authors conclude, according to a JAMA press release. July 6, 2007 Links
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