• Article Author: Matteo Datini
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Keep your heart healthy with dark chocolates

Do you want to have a healthy heart? Then start eating dark chocolates. This is not a hoax or just taken out of thin air. A natural remedy such as eating dark chocolates can keep your heart fit and healthy.

A team of experts at a University in Cologne Germany proved this claim with a report published at one of the famous academic papers of American Medical Organization. The team headed by Dr. Dirk Taubert, conducted a study on a group of old men and women, from ages 55-65 and with mild case of high blood pressure. All the participants in the study have an average blood pressure reading of 153/84. For two weeks, the people under study ate 100-gram of dark and white chocolates. These people also avoided eating similar foods with the same calories as that of the chocolates. After two weeks, those people given with dark chocolates had a much lower blood pressure compared to those who ate white chocolates. It showed that white chocolate eaters have the same high blood pressure readings with no significant changes.

This study proves the truth behind the power of dark chocolates to promote a healthy heart. These chocolates contain plant phenols, a compound found on cocoa known to decrease blood pressure. The natural compounds found on cocoa, and dark chocolate can improve the cardiovascular system, preventing blockage in the arteries and an efficient blood flow. The high level of antioxidants in a cocoa bean, particularly flavanols, helps you maintain a healthy heart by preventing free radicals in your blood that can clog arteries. It stimulates the production of a key gas inside the arterial walls, regulating blood flow and reduced the pressure.

Antioxidants can protect your heart, body systems from harmful free radicals that you constantly get for your environment. If you have high levels of antioxidants inside your body, you have a strong protection against heart diseases.

While we need more research to prove the long-term effects of the dark chocolates, the results are somewhat significant and worth further research. These findings though do not give you the permission to eat as many dark chocolates as you want. Remember that eating many chocolates can increase your caloric intake for the day and will lead to weight gain. Moderation is still the key; when eating dark chocolates, it should be in proportion to your daily calorie requirements. In order to reap the benefits of eating dark chocolates, eat a few bites of dark chocolates and preferably with no milk. Healthy eating, regular exercise and sufficient sleep are still the best things you can do for your heart.