Scientists are closing in on the mechanism behind chocolate’s heart healthy benefits. They have discovered how the polyphenols in cocoa can boost beneficial HDL and help lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels. In tissue cultures, cocoa polyphenols increased the cell’s output of a compound called apolipoprotein A1, which is an essential component of HDL. Levels of apolipoprotein B, the main component of LDL, dropped after cells were exposed to cocoa polyphenols. The more we learn about chocolate’s health benefits, the more appealing a Valentine’s day gift of dark chocolate appears.
[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, online Jan. 12, 2011]
