Research shows a modest intake of dark chocolate can be beneficial in lowering your blood pressure and your overall cardiovascular health. Dark chocolate contains particularly high levels of flavinoids, which lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, increase your HDL -- the "good" cholesterol -- and lower your LDL, the "bad cholesterol. However, stay away from heavily processed chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate if you want the benefits chocolate can provide.
Why the Fuss About Chocolate?
Two types of compounds in chocolate have been of interest in coronary vascular disease, or CVD, of which high blood pressure is a component. The first are flavinoids, compounds found in a variety of plants that act as antioxidants. When consumed by humans, plants rich in flavinoids provide protection against free radicals.
In "Nutrition and Metabolism," a 2006 review by researchers at Harvard and the University of Wisconsin found that because cocoa and chocolate contain greater antioxidant properties and higher levels of flavionoids than do fruits, red wines or tea, they have been of particular research interest.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that if you are deficient in antioxidants, you are at risk for increased levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, which when oxidized damage the arteries and promote plaque buildup. That translates into higher blood pressure.
The second group of concern is the fat contained in cocoa butter. Saturated fats raise both the LDL and overall cholesterol levels. Fortunately, of the three fats present in chocolate, one is an unsaturated, or heart healthy, type. Of the two saturated fats, only one has been shown to raise cholesterol in humans. The Cleveland Clinic concludes that the benefits of the flavinoids in chocolate outweigh the potential harm of the one saturated fat.
Research on Health Effects
The review in "Nutrition and Metabolism" examined 136 research papers on the effects of chocolate or cocoa on CVD. The researchers concluded that the short-term intake of chocolate "may exert beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk via effects on lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammation, anti-platelet function, higher HDL, decreased LDL oxidation." The researchers also concluded that long-term chocolate consumption might decrease CVD deaths.
Not All Chocolate Is the Same
Not all chocolate can deliver cardiovascular benefits. Do not assume that your favorite milk chocolate nougat bar will do the trick. The flavinoids in chocolate are diluted and damaged by the processing that many chocolate products go through. Generally, the darkest chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa is the best source of flavinoids, but even dark chocolate may have been roasted or processed in other ways that damage the flavinoids. Milk chocolate has greatly diluted the chocolate with milk in addition to being highly processed. The University of Alabama Health Center notes that white chocolate, a mix of cocoa fat, sugar and flavorings, has been stripped of its flavinoid content altogether.
Considerations
In addition to processing that may damage the flavinoids in chocolate, most commercial chocolate also contains sugar and fats that dramatically increase the caloric intake. The University of Alabama Health Center notes that chocolate contains 135 to 150 calories per ounce. A substantial weight gain can offset any CVD benefits of eating the chocolate. There is also not much known at this point about optimal levels of consumption.
