Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of chocolate now and then? But here’s a surprising twist—chocolate might not just be a tasty treat, it could also be good for your heart. That’s exactly what scientists from the University of Surrey set out to explore. They focused on cocoa flavanols, natural substances found in cocoa, which have been linked to heart health in earlier studies.
To understand this better, let’s quickly go over two important things: blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against your blood vessels. If it’s too high, it can damage your heart over time.
Arterial stiffness means your arteries are becoming less flexible, which also puts extra pressure on your heart and raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
In this study, researchers wanted to see how cocoa flavanols affect these two factors. They didn’t ask people to eat chocolate bars, though. Instead, they gave 11 healthy volunteers capsules on different days. On some days, the capsules contained cocoa flavanols. On other days, they got placebo capsules filled with brown sugar that had no health effects.
To track the results, the volunteers wore special devices that measured their blood pressure and the stiffness of their arteries. The measurements were taken before they swallowed the capsules, and several times afterward throughout the day.
Here’s what the scientists discovered: cocoa flavanols helped lower blood pressure and made the arteries less stiff—but only when these readings were too high to begin with. If a person’s blood pressure was already low, the cocoa didn’t make it drop any further. That’s good news because it shows that the cocoa works when needed, but not too much.
What was also surprising is how long the effects lasted. Even eight hours after taking the capsules, the volunteers still showed better blood pressure and more flexible arteries. Scientists think this long-lasting effect could be due to how our gut bacteria break down the flavanols and release helpful compounds into the body.
This study adds to other research showing that certain foods and drinks might help the heart. For example, black tea, coffee, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish and walnuts) have all been linked to lower blood pressure. So, cocoa is one more item to add to the growing list of heart-friendly choices.
Still, this doesn’t mean you should replace your medicine with chocolate. A square or two of dark chocolate with high cocoa content might offer small benefits, but it’s not a cure for heart problems. It’s best seen as a small bonus that adds to a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and proper medical care.
So the next time you enjoy a bite of chocolate, you might feel a little less guilty. Thanks to science, we now know that cocoa flavanols may do more than satisfy your sweet tooth—they might also give your heart a helping hand.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about blood pressure drug that may increase risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and these teas could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about nutrient that could strongly lower high blood pressure, and results showing this novel antioxidant may help reverse blood vessels aging by 20 years.
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