Dark Chocolate Key to a Healthy Heart

Article written by guest writer Rin Mitchell

What’s the Latest Development?

The high content of flavonoids, a group of organic compounds that dark chocolate contains, are good for the heart. Eating dark chocolate containing 60-70 percent (even more is better) of cocoa is beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Both short-term and long-term studies were conducted on people who were at high-risk of heart disease. Researchers did a trial on participants who were hypersensitive and met requirements of metabolic syndrome to indentify how eating chocolate on a daily basis could reduce the number of non-fatal strokes and non-fatal heart attacks per year. With 100 percent compliance, 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal instances per 10,000 people in 10 years could be prevented. Even an eighty-percent compliance lowered risks substantially enough for researchers to regard dark chocolate as a healthy option to maintain cardiovascular health. According to the model used, the cost for governments to invest in dark chocolate prevention strategies would be minimal—money could be put towards advertising and educational campaigns, as well as “subsidizing dark chocolate in high-risk populations.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, which are the main culprits in heart attacks and strokes. This delicacy—containing the correct amount of cocoa—is beneficial in preventing heart complications. White chocolate or milk chocolate doesn’t provide the same benefits because they do not contain as much flavonoids as dark chocolate.