Several studies over the last few years have shown a dark chocolate blood pressure benefit, even with small portions of dark chocolate. It's the flavanoids, an antioxidant. But dark chocolate alone won't do the trick.
What About Those Studies?
The healthy effects on blood vessels from the antioxidant flavanoids in dark chocolate have been shown in several scientific studies over the last few years to lower blood pressure to a clinically significant degree.
For example, a study published in March 2005 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition put 15 people on an identical diet, which included a small portion of dark chocolate for 15 days, followed by 7 days with no chocolate, and ending with 15 small daily portions of white chocolate. This study showed reductions in blood pressure after the dark chocolate period, with no changes after the no chocolate and white chocolate periods.
A similar study published in July of 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association divided its test population into two groups, with identical diets except one group received small daily amounts of dark chocolate, the other white chocolate. This study also reported reductions in blood pressure for the dark chocolate group only.
Another report published in April 2007 in The Archives of Internal Medicine reviewed 5 previous studies on dark chocolate and concluded that 3.5 daily ounces of dark chocolate produced clinically significant reductions in blood pressure.
It's the Flavanoids
Each of these studies fingers the flavanoid antioxidants as the contributing factor in reduced blood pressure. Dark chocolate has plenty of them, while milk chocolate has fewer, and white chocolate has none. Other flavanoid-rich foods such as tea and red wine have shown similar results. Read more about dark chocolate antioxidants here.
This Will Only Work In Moderation
These studies all provided small amounts of dark chocolate in the daily diets. It's great that these healthy benefits have been found using small amounts, because even dark chocolate is still a high calorie food. If we eat too much, the dark chocolate blood pressure benefits will soon be outweighed by the blood pressure negatives associated with weight gain. Here's some info on the calories in dark chocolate.
Dark Chocolate is Part of the Bigger Blood Pressure Solution
Dark chocolate can contribute to reduced blood pressure as part of an overall healthy program, including: reduced weight; regular exercise; a balanced diet containing plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant sources; reduced stress; and medication if prescribed.
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