Few weeks ago, I bumped into a blog that tell about …LOVE YOUR HEART…and today I read a very interesting article there. It is about dark chocolate. Why dark chocolate so special and how it is related to YOUR HEART. 
Read on. If your search google with “dark chocolate + heart” you will see the reasons why they are related.
The result shows:
1. A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
2. Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate
3. Dark chocolate may reduce blood pressure, improve insulin resistance
4. More support for dark chocolate's heart benefits.
5. Dark chocolate and the healthy heart
Here are some of the studies about this dark chocolate and our heart.
The Studies
Taubert's team signed up six men and seven women aged 55-64. All had just been diagnosed with mild high blood pressure — on average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 153 and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 84.
Every day for two weeks, they ate a 100-gram candy bar and were asked to balance its 480 calories by not eating other foods similar in nutrients and calories. Half the patients got dark chocolate and half got white chocolate.
Those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.
In the second study, Serafini's team signed up seven healthy women and five healthy men aged 25-35. On different days they each ate 100 grams of dark chocolate by itself, 100 grams of dark chocolate with a small glass of whole milk, or 200 grams of milk chocolate.
An hour later, those who ate dark chocolate alone had the most total antioxidants in their blood. And they had higher levels of epicatechin, a particularly healthy compound found in chocolate. The milk chocolate eaters had the lowest epicatechin levels of all.
Chocolate for Blood Pressure: Darker Is Better
What is it about dark chocolate? The answer is plant phenols — cocoa phenols, to be exact. These compounds are known to lower blood pressure.
Chocolates made in Europe are generally richer in cocoa phenols than those made in the U.S. So if you're going to try this at home, remember: Darker is better.
Just remember to balance the calories. A 100-gram serving of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 531 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you ate that much raw apple you'd only take in 52 calories. But then, you'd miss out on the delicious blood pressure benefit.
A hint: Don't replace healthy foods with chocolate. Most people's diets have plenty of sweets. Switch those for some chocolate if you're going to try the truffle treatment.
Also, from WebMD Medical News, learn how dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure.
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SOURCES: Taubert, D. TheJournal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 27, 2003; vol 290: pp 1029-1030. Serafini, M. Nature, Aug. 28, 2003; vol 424: p 1013. U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory.
© 2003 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Reminder: Buy Dark Chocolate for Your Friends and Family for this coming Festive Seasons.
Credit to my online friend too, Bijoy Johnson. He is currently doing his medical studies in Calicut Medical College, Kerala, India. His passions are cardiology (healthcare for the heart), computers and blogging. You can contact him at: bijoyjohnson (at) gmail (dot) com., here is his blog and his article: A dark chocolate a day keeps the cardiologist away!
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