![]() ![]() The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be great for your skin. Research shows a reduction in heart disease risk among those who consume a moderate amount of chocolate. However, since the biological process is known (lower blood pressure and lower oxidization-prone LDL), it’s plausible that regularly eating dark chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease. Consuming more than 100 grams per week does not appear to produce health benefits ( 15).Ī 2017 clinical trial found that subjects who consumed almonds with or without dark chocolate showed improved LDL cholesterol levels ( 3).Īlthough all of these findings are promising, more evidence is needed to know if it was the chocolate that reduced the risk. Eating chocolate more often showed little additional benefit ( 14).Īnother review suggested that eating 45 grams of chocolate per week lowers cardiovascular disease risk by 11%. Over time, a number of studies have shown that consuming flavanol-rich cocoa or chocolate can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health ( 13).Ī review of studies revealed that eating chocolate 3 times per week lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 9%. In fact, research show a fairly drastic improvement. ![]() In the long term, this should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease. The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL. It lowers oxidation-prone LDL and improves insulin sensitivity. Summaryĭark chocolate improves several important risk factors for disease. However, dark chocolate also contains sugar, which can have the opposite effect. The flavanols in dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for diseases like heart disease and diabetes ( 12). It contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that do make it into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage ( 3). It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers oxidation-prone forms of LDL. Oxidation makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of damaging other tissues, such as the lining of the arteries in your heart. Some forms of LDL cholesterol are more likely to oxidize, which happens if they react with free radicals in your body. In a small study, eating dark chocolate supplemented with the flavanol lycopene was found to significantly decrease levels of total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides ( 11). Raises HDL and protects LDL from oxidationĬonsuming dark chocolate can improve several important risk factors for heart disease. The bioactive compounds in cocoa may improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.Ĥ. Given the great variation between studies on this subject, it’s clear that more research is needed ( 9, 10). It’s possible that people who are already receiving treatment for high blood pressure may not get any additional benefit from adding cocoa flavanols to their diet. ![]() However, one study in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure showed no effect, so take this with a grain of salt ( 8). Many controlled studies show that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, though the effects are usually mild ( 6, 7). One of the functions of NO is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers the resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure. The flavanoids in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce nitric oxide (NO) ( 5). ![]() May improve blood flow and lower blood pressure In fact, they have way more than most other foods.ģ. SummaryĬocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants. One study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate had more antioxidant activity, polyphenols, and flavanols than any other fruits tested, which included blueberries and acai berries ( 4). According to research, the polyphenols in dark chocolate may help lower some forms of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when combined with other foods like almonds and cocoa ( 3). These include polyphenols, flavanols and catechins, among others. But experts say there isn’t enough evidence yet to say for certain ( 2).ĭark chocolate is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. Research in humans does not always show the same range of antioxidant effects for chocolate. But the biological relevance of ORAC values is questioned, as it’s measured in a test tube and may not have the same effect in the body. It’s a measure of the antioxidant activity of foods.īasically, researchers set a bunch of free radicals (bad) against a sample of a food and see how well the antioxidants in the food can disarm the free radicals.īased on these studies, chocolate is considered rich in antioxidants. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. ![]()
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