Chocolate vs Blood Pressure Part 2

I thought I'd end this week on a sweet note by reviewing some studies about chocolate & cocoa.  Recently, I'd reported on studies linking chocolate to lower risk of heart failure, cardiovascular risk factors, body mass index, and even blood pressure.  So when we consider flukes & trends, it certainly appears that some correlation exists between chocolate & our health.  

In fact, in a meta-analysis published just last week in the Cochrane Library, well known for advocating evidence-based medicine, the authors noted that flavanol-rich chocolate & cocoa products have been demonstrated to produce a statistically significant lowering of blood pressure by 2-3mm Hg.  The authors arrived at their conclusion after sifting through studies to arrive at 20 involving 856 healthy participants randomized to flavanol-rich chocolate vs placebo.  The biggest problem noted was the variation in methodology ranging from 30-1,080mg of flavanols (average 545.5mg) to 2-18 weeks duration (average 4.4 weeks).

So while this is certainly not the last word on the benefit of chocolate, let's remember that the results are not predicated upon consumption of common Americanized milk chocolate candies that contains more sugar than flavanols but rather the more esoteric dark chocolate bars that typically advertise >75% cacao (cocoa). Believe me, it's an acquired taste (especially if you have a sweet tooth like me) . . .

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