Does Dark Chocolate Help Lower Blood Pressure?
Researchers have found that flavanols, which are antioxidants found in cocoa, help lower blood pressure and promote heart health.
A University of Surrey study found that people who took dietary supplements containing cocoa bean extracts had more elastic blood vessels and lower blood pressure than those who took a placebo.
These values were maintained for 8 hours after capsule administration.
The tablets contained as many flavanols as 500 grams of dark chocolate.
In addition, the results showed that cocoa flavanols lower blood pressure only when it is high.
"This could be a solution for doctors who are afraid to prescribe blood pressure medications to their patients because they are afraid that their blood pressure will be too low on some days," Heiss says.
While the study's results were based on the high amount of flavanols in the tablets, chocolate with a high cocoa content also offers significant amounts of this active ingredient, Heiss adds.
Other foods that promote heart health include leafy greens, onions, apples, berries, cherries, soybeans, and red wine.
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