Chocolate – a sweet treat, but is it sweet when it comes to your own personal health?
Results from recent research suggest that eating a small piece or two of chocolate on a daily basis suggest “yes”. Regular chocolate consumption may, surprisingly, lower a person’s blood pressure. It should be noted that the study’s outcome is based on dark chocolate containing a minimum of 30 calories.
Dirk Taubert, from the University Hospital of Cologne and project lead author, writes, “The most intriguing finding of this study is that small amounts of commercial cocoa confectionary convey a similar blood pressure-lowering potential compared with comprehensive dietary modifications that have proven efficacy to reduce cardiovascular event rate.” “Consumption of the polyphenol-rich dark chocolate led to measurable increases in blood polyphenol concentrations.” Polyphenols – or plant chemical compounds – can contain healthy antioxidants and can also be found in other foods such as berries, walnuts, olive oil and a host of fruits and vegetables.
While chocolate may positively affect a person’s blood pressure level, keeping those levels down requires far more, explains Taubert. “Where-as long-term adherence to complex behavioral changes is often low and requires continuous 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 …”
So, in addition to being one of the world’s best “comfort” foods, chocolate now may have another claim to fame. Further intensive tests will be conducted and more news will be available at that time. In the meantime, where does the line-up for research participants start? With chocolate being involved, it would be safe to presume that the number of volunteers will be plentiful!
Copyright © 2006-2009 Curb Your Cravings LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Results from recent research suggest that eating a small piece or two of chocolate on a daily basis suggest “yes”. Regular chocolate consumption may, surprisingly, lower a person’s blood pressure. It should be noted that the study’s outcome is based on dark chocolate containing a minimum of 30 calories.
Dirk Taubert, from the University Hospital of Cologne and project lead author, writes, “The most intriguing finding of this study is that small amounts of commercial cocoa confectionary convey a similar blood pressure-lowering potential compared with comprehensive dietary modifications that have proven efficacy to reduce cardiovascular event rate.” “Consumption of the polyphenol-rich dark chocolate led to measurable increases in blood polyphenol concentrations.” Polyphenols – or plant chemical compounds – can contain healthy antioxidants and can also be found in other foods such as berries, walnuts, olive oil and a host of fruits and vegetables.
While chocolate may positively affect a person’s blood pressure level, keeping those levels down requires far more, explains Taubert. “Where-as long-term adherence to complex behavioral changes is often low and requires continuous 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 …”
So, in addition to being one of the world’s best “comfort” foods, chocolate now may have another claim to fame. Further intensive tests will be conducted and more news will be available at that time. In the meantime, where does the line-up for research participants start? With chocolate being involved, it would be safe to presume that the number of volunteers will be plentiful!
Copyright © 2006-2009 Curb Your Cravings LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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2 comments:
I knew it, didn't need a researcher to tell me this :-)
Anyone beside me noticed that everyone and their brother has jumped on this?? It's almost funny in that not only is just about every company making something that contains chocolate but the usual candy makers are now also making their "traditional" candy bars that were always milk chocolate now also in a version of dark chocolate (fine by me, I've loved dark and bittersweet since I was a little girl) and then others are making their bars in various %'s like 60%, 75%, 90% cocoa. Granted my beloved dark chocolate does have some benefits but let's get real it is NOT a miracle cure or treatment no matter how we (I) wish it was.
While I will never EVER totally give up chocolate (unless it became life threatening for some reason), I know that I can't use this research as a reason or excuse to eat w/o limits!!!
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