Consuming large amounts of dark chocolate can cause high blood pressure. But in small doses, dark chocolate may help keep your blood pressure at healthy levels. Nevertheless, dark chocolate contains both sugar and fat. Thus, eating a diet high in sugar and fat can lead to diabetes, a risk factor for developing hypertension, or high blood pressure. Dark chocolate also has other substances that appear to promote healthy blood pressure. To balance the benefits of dark chocolate with potential disadvantages, the key is moderate consumption.
Appetite
Eating 100 g dark chocolate, or 3.5 ounces, can serve as an appetite suppressant, according to research performed at the University of Copenhagen. The researchers conducted a study in which participants ate dark chocolate after a 12-hour fast. After consuming the chocolate, they were offered an unlimited supply of pizza. Study participants who had eaten dark chocolate prior to eating the pizza consumed less than those who did not eat any dark chocolate. Milk chocolate had no effect on appetite. Since obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, eating less at meals can help prevent high blood pressure.
Inflammation
Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, plant compounds that have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect your cells from environmental damage, aging and disease. In the October 2008 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," Italian researchers wrote that the flavonoids in dark chocolate may also prevent inflammation. In their study, participants who ate 20 g dark chocolate, or 0.7 ounces, had lower levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, in their blood compared to a control group. According to Harvard University researchers, high CRP levels may increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
Evidence
A study published in the June 28, 2010 issue of "BMC Medicine" reviewed results from 13 studies analyzing the effect that dark chocolate has on blood pressure. The researchers found that dark chocolate consumption, compared to a placebo, reduced the blood pressure of individuals diagnosed with hypertension or pre-hypertension. Dark chocolate didn't appear to affect the blood pressure of people who had normal blood pressure.
Recommendations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines the cacao content of chocolate. Chocolate categorized as bittersweet, dark, semisweet, extra dark and extra bittersweet, contains 35 to 99 percent cacao. At a March 2011 meeting of the American Heart Association in Atlanta, Harvard researcher Eric Ding, a nutritionist and epidemiologist, stated that in a review of 24 study groups, only dark chocolate with 50 to 70 percent cacao effectively lowered blood pressure. The National Institutes of Health doesn't advise eating chocolate to lower your blood pressure. But if you already eat chocolate, consume varieties with the highest cacao content that you can tolerate. In addition, choose dark chocolate over ice cream or other high fat, sugary sweets.
References
- University of Copenhagen; The Dark Chocolate Version of Father Christmas Is Most Filling; Oct. 12, 2008
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Regular Consumption of Dark Chocolate Is Associated with Low Serum Concentrations of C-Reactive Protein in a Healthy Italian Population; Romina di Giuseppe, Ph.D., et al.; October 2008
- Harvard University Gazette; C-reactive Protein, High Blood Pressure Linked; Alvin Powell; Jan. 8, 2004
- "BMC Medicine"; Does Chocolate Reduce Blood Pressure? A Meta-Analysis; Karin Reid, M.Sc., Ph.D., et al.; June 28, 2010
- AARP; Harvard Study: Dark Chocolate Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure; Candy Sagon; March 24, 2011
- National Institutes of Health; Claims About Cocoa; August 2011
- AARP; Harvard Study: Dark Chocolate Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure; Candy Sagon; March 24, 2011
