Dark chocolate lightens the heart

The Sunday Mail, January 15, 2006

Lovers of dark chocolate have been given the perfect excuse to indulge their passion – it’s good for the heart. A study has found that eating a few squares a day could help prevent problems with blood flow. This is because it contains high quantities of antioxidants called flavanoids, which prevent arteries hardening. These benefits, however, are not shared by milk chocolate, possibly because the milk interferes with the effect of the flavanoid

In the study, published recently in the journal Heart, tests were carried out on 20 smokers, chosen because they have an increased risk of hardened arteries and heart disease. Before the tests, the subjects were told not to eat foods rich in antioxidants such as onions, apples and cabbage. They were then fed 60g portions of different types of chocolates. After two hours, those who had eaten dark chocolate made up of at least 74-per cent cocoa solids were found to have "significantly improved" blood flow. The effects lasted for eight hours.

Technorati Tag: Biotechnology pharmaceutical Malaysia Health & wellness Heart cardiovascular chocolate