The Evidence Mounts: Eat More Dark Chocolate!
A small clinical trial reported at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions this week in New Orleans has once again found support for eating dark chocolate.During a trial lasting 6 weeks 45 individuals were fed 8 ounces of cocoa either with or without sugar, or an 8 ounce placebo daily. These individuals were then subjected to an ultrasound measurement of the the ability of an artery in the upper arm to accommodate increased blood flow by relaxation and expansion. Thirty-nine individuals completed the study (I bet the drop outs were in the placebo group -- who'd want to drop out of a study where they gave you free chocolate?).
Blood flow increased significantly in both groups who ate chocolate with and without sugar and flow actually dropped in the placebo group. The authors suggest that while their results don't mean that people should start eating more chocolate, their results do mean that more studies should be done on the affects of chocolate and other flavonoid-rich foods on the cardiovascular system. I'm not waiting for more studies; bring on the chocolate! My favorite bar is lavender-blueberry dark by Dagoba. What's yours?
Laurie
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Technorati Tags: clinical trials, heart health, dark chocolate, health and wellness
Labels: diet
2 Comments:
Too bad dark chocolate is an acquire taste. I can't eat more than 70% dark chocolate.
My favourite is Lindor (but I suspect that the amount of fat and sugar in it completely reverses any positive effects it has).
I agree tscd, I am not a fan of dark chocolate. However, I'll just let my brain delude me into thinking milk chocolate is good for me, lol.
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