Dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure--study

If the findings of a new study are to be believed, ‘one chocolate a day keeps blood pressure worries away’ might well become the present day adage.

The research establishes that ingestion of dark chocolates is as good as having half an hour of exercise
for high blood pressure patients.

For the purpose of the study, researchers from Adelaide University examined the impact of flavanols on blood pressure.

Flavanols dilate [relax; expand] blood vessels
Flavanols are the compounds present in chocolates, especially the dark variety, and are responsible for dilation of blood vessels. This dilation enables the blood to flow freely, thereby decreasing the pressure of blood.

The researchers used Medline, Cochrane, and international trial registries between 1955 and 2009 for randomised controlled trials. A total of 18 publications, including 21 trial arms, were assessed in detail to arrive at the conclusions.

"Flavanols have been shown to increase the formation of endothelial nitric oxide, which promotes vasodilation and consequently may lower blood pressure," lead author of the study Karin Ried said.

The analysis of the study revealed that flavanols help lower blood pressure for those suffering from hypertension.

After eating dark chocolates, the blood pressure came down by 5mm Hg, which is equivalent to the drop in blood pressure while doing physical exercise.

“You don’t always need medication to reduce blood pressure. This shows that there are some foods that can help,” averred Ried.

Caveat emptor
"There have, however, been conflicting results as to the real-life effects of eating chocolate. We've found that consumption can significantly, albeit modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure," noted Ried.

The findings of the study have to be taken with a pinch of salt, for chocolates can be unhealthy too.

Chocolate also contains stearic acid, which partly gets converted to oleic acid in the liver.

It is advisable to get flavonoids from nuts or green tea as well instead of relying only on dark chocolates.

Moreover, further research needs to be undertaken to gauge the long-term effects of chocolate consumption before chocolates can be safely termed as the new drug for hypertension.

The findings of the study have been publishes in access journal BMC Medicine.

Source http://www.themedguru.com/20100704/newsfeature/dark-chocolate-helps-lower-blood-pressure-study-86136801.html