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Dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids than milk chocolate and so more flavonoids. © Shutterstock
Good news for chocolate lovers! Your favourite chocolate bar can do more than satisfying your sweet tooth. It's actually good for your heart. A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people who eat chocolate at least once a week had a lower risk of coronary artery disease than those who rarely ate chocolate or not all.
For the study, the researchers conducted a review of studies from the past five decades that looked for links between eating chocolate and coronary artery disease. It included data from more than 336,000 participants who reported their chocolate consumption. The results showed that people who ate chocolate more than once a week had an 8% lower risk of blocked arteries, compared with those who indulged in chocolate less than once a week.
According to the researchers, chocolate contains nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol.
Previous research had also linked the consumption of cocoa to a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, and lower risk of death by cardiovascular disease. Experts give the credit to flavonoids found in chocolate (and red wine), which they believe can help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function (i.e. how effectively your blood distributes oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and carries away waste materials).
However, the new study didn't examine the portion sizes, or the types of chocolate (dark chocolate or milk chocolate) the subjects were savoring.
Dark chocolate, in particular, has been associated with numerous health benefits. But nutrition experts say that it should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids than milk chocolate. And more cocoa means more flavonoids, which may provide several health benefits. Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate has much lower sugar content and lesser calories, and four times more fiber. Dark chocolate is also a good source of minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. Here are some proven health benefits of dark chocolate:
In a 2010 study, people with high blood pressure reported lowered their blood pressure after eating dark chocolate or other flavanol-rich cocoa for two weeks.
The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the lining of arteries to produce nitric oxide (NO), which causes blood vessels to dilate, or widen. This helps improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure.
A 2015 study looked at the effects of chocolate consumption in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. It found that participants who ate 25 grams (g) of dark chocolate daily for 8 weeks had significantly lower blood pressure than the group who ate the same quantity of white chocolate.
Compounds, such as polyphenols and theobromine in dark chocolate may lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or "bad cholesterol" in the body and increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or "good cholesterol." A 2017 study showed that eating dark chocolate for 15 days raised HDL cholesterol levels in HIV patients.
Eating dark chocolate is also good for your skin. Studies have also shown that the flavanols from cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin, protect it from sun damage and increase skin density and hydration.
In one study, participants who ate high-flavanol cocoa for five days had improved blood flow to the brain. Researchers also suggest that cocoa may help improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. Additionally, cocoa contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which can improve brain function.