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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : March 19, 2014 5:29 PM IST
Love chocolate? Here's why you should love it even more! For the first time, researchers from Louisiana State University have proved how eating dark chocolate can benefit the heart. For centuries the health benefits of eating dark chocolate have been praised, but the exact reason has remained a mystery, until now. Researchers have from the Louisiana State University have found out that a certain bacteria in the stomach turns the chocolate into anti-inflammatory compounds, that are good for the heart.(Read: Stroke more damaging for women than men)
Their findings were unveiled at the 247th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society. Maria Moore, an undergraduate student and one of the researchers said, 'We found that there are two kinds of microbes in the intestine: the `good' ones and the `bad' ones. 'The good microbes, such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, feast on chocolate. When you eat dark chocolate, they grow and ferment it, producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory,' she said.(Read: An orange a day could keep stroke away)
The other bacterias in the intestine are associated with inflammation and can cause gas, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These include some Clostridia and some E. coli, Science Daily reported. 'When these compounds are absorbed by the body, they reduce inflammation of cardiovascular tissue of the heart, reducing the long-term risk of stroke,' said research head John Finley. He said that this study is the first to look at the effects of dark chocolate on the various types of bacteria in the stomach.(Read: 8 ways to prevent a stroke (Gallery))
Finley said that people could experience even more health benefits when dark chocolate is combined with fruits like pomegranates and acai.
What is a stroke?
Also known as a cerebrovascular accident, stroke is a medical emergency that arises when arteries that supply blood to the brain get affected. As a result a part of the brain doesn't receive sufficient blood supply. Without blood and nutrient supply, the brain cells get affected and can die within a few minutes. Stroke often results in long-term dysfunction of the body part controlled by the affected brain area. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused due to a block (blood clot) in the blood vessel whereas a haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding through a tear in the blood vessel. (Read: Stroke causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention)
With inputs from IANS
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