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If there were a medicine that could make your blood vessels more flexible, lower your blood pressure, prevent blood clots and improve insulin sensitivity, it would be phenomenally successful. The company that produced this wonder drug would likely charge an arm and a leg for it. Your doctor would prescribe it enthusiastically.
There is such a drug, but your doctor doesn’t prescribe it and might even chastise you for consuming it. That’s because the drug is dark chocolate.
Many health professionals tend to have a puritanical streak, so if something tastes too good, they get nervous. That’s why we get scolded every time we write about the health benefits of chocolate.
More than a year ago we described a Dutch study showing that older men who ate chocolate were 50 percent less likely to die of a heart attack during the 15 year follow-up (Archives of Internal Medicine, Feb. 27, 2006).
It didn’t take long for someone to object: “You are irresponsible to suggest that chocolate has health benefits. Chocolate is high in calories and full of fat and sugar. Anyone who eats chocolate should not be kidding himself that it’s good for him.”
This spring, newscasts reported that a review of randomized controlled clinical trials showed significant blood pressure lowering benefit from chocolate. Again, the naysayers responded quickly: “A lot of press attention has been given to the benefits of dark chocolate for lowering blood pressure. But the average systolic pressure was only lowered 5 points and the diastolic pressure by about 3 points. These numbers are hardly anything to get excited about. Why are people so enthusiastic?”
While it is true that these numbers don’t indicate a dramatic change, even standard blood pressure pills don’t lower blood pressure much more than that. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nov. 10, 2004) found the popular medications Norvasc (amlopidine) and Vasotec (enalapril) lowered systolic pressure by 5 points and diastolic by about 2.5 points.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (July 4, 2007) confirms that dark chocolate can indeed lower blood pressure. The difference in the new research is that it only took a little bit of chocolate.
Many previous studies ran for just a few weeks and volunteers were given 100 grams of chocolate a day. That is quite a large chunk of chocolate. (Chocolate aficionados may recognize the size of a Ritter Sport square bar.) Weight gain would be a realistic concern.
The most recent study ran several months, but the volunteers got much less chocolate, just about 6 grams daily. Those 30 calories a day didn’t lead any of the volunteers to gain weight, but it was enough chocolate to reduce blood pressure.
Although the reduction was modest, it was enough to be clinically noteworthy. The investigators concluded that this effect would be enough to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and overall mortality in a population.
For people who want to learn more about selecting high-quality cocoa and want to enjoy chocolaty desserts with less fat and calories, we offer our cookbook, Chocolate Without Guilt. It is available online at http://ppcart.fountainshosting.com/p-247-chocolate-without-guilt.aspx.
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Heard press announcement that Hershey was coming out with milk chocolate candies that had all of the 'goodies' found in dark chocolate. Haven't seen it in stores yet.
I'm 78 -- 79 in March.
According to my doctor, I am in perfect health. "Every single one of my blood tests are right on the money." (and he runs them all every six months) Not one blood test is out of tolerance. His exact words were "whatever you're doing, keep it up"!
Regarding Chocolate, several times a week I enjoy a very thick (Three heaping tablespoons in 8 oz. glass of milk) malt made with Carnation Chocolate malt (a cocoa type mix) with one heaping spoon of the Carnation natural malt mix, (the white) Also daily, I have a glass of Orange Juice with a heaping teaspoon of Spiru-Tein -- to the best of my knowledge,(and my physician's) I have no medical problems other than my short term memory is terrible. Doc says that's just old age.
However, my long time memory is acute. I can even tell you names of my classmates in "grade school" and some of my teacher's names. (THAT's over 70 years ago) Ask me something that happened last week and I'm lost.
I also ocassionally eat a half of a Large Hershey's Chocolate bar, about once a month. Had no idea Chocolate was good for me, I just like it but don't want to overindulge.
Also -- FYI - A couple of times a week, I eat Post's Banana Nut Crunch cereal which has a lot of crunchies and a fair amount of walnuts.
Hope this may be of some value.
OH. Why I came on your site--
I have been on Lovastatin - 20mg - daily for the last year and a half. I read your article on the dangers of statin drugs in FlaToday (our local paper) and it sure opened my eyes. I had the weakness in my legs, my feet hurt when standing too much, dead tired and fatigued all the time, (thought it was just old age) I also had the balance problem and lost my balance if I turn around or raised up quickly, AND --also the short term memory mentioned above. (now a suspect also)
About two months ago, I began taking Ginko Biloba for my memory, and about two weeks ago, I began also taking CO-Q10 because of the statin drugs I have been on.
It may be phycological, however, since quiting the Lovastain, and getting on the CO-Q10, I'll be darn if I don't feel MUCH better already.
Thanks to you, maybe I can squeeze in a few more extra good years. I'm grateful to you and that I saw your article, I also have been warning friends and family.
Thank you very much.
Bill Logan
geezer1@cfl.rr.com
About 3 months ago you published a column about a hospital in Texas that discovered that dark chocolate was found to have as calming effect on patients with Parkinsons disease, but it was not mentioned in your recent column on "The pros and cons of chocolate" ? Was this intentional?
Could you send me a reprint of the Texas article? I have a friend with a combination of both diseases and needs help. His current doctor is not of much assistance, perhaps nothing can be done.
R.F.Owen