Dark Chocolate, A Health Food?

I keep seeing articles telling me that Dark Chocolate is good for cardiovascular health and I’m all about that because I have always loved dark chocolate. But on the other hand I also have to control my sugar intake because of diabetes.

Dark Chocolate has a long history of being noted for its antioxidant benefits, but a new study conducted by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center pointed out a new benefit to cardiovascular health. This recent study reported that Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate has a positive impact on blood pressure and blood vessel function. The rich dark chocolate is comprised of 60 percent cacao.

Cacao or the cocoa plant is a small evergreen tree. Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate. Studies have shown heart benefits surrounding cacao, including increased blood flow, less platelet stickiness and clotting, improved LDL cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Doctors say these benefits are the result of the cocoa’s antioxidant chemicals known as flavonoids, which seem to prevent both cell and damage and inflammation.

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center study is the largest of its kind to research the short-term benefits of solid dark chocolate and cocoa containing beverages on blood pressure and endothelial function (blood vessel function). The results, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that consuming Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate (75g) as well as Hershey’s Natural Cocoa (22g) lowered blood pressure and improved endothelial function in 45 participants two hours after consumption.

Then, again I read where Italian researchers determined that eating dark chocolate could lessen your risk of developing diabetes. In the study of 15 people, everyone who ate one candy bar's worth of dark chocolate once a day for 15 days saw his or her levels of a marker for insulin resistance drop by nearly half.

"Flavonols increase nitric oxide production," says lead researcher Claudio Ferri, M.D., "and that helps control insulin sensitivity."

Yes, candy bars are packed with fat and sugar. But there are antioxidants in chocolate and protein in nuts. And the bars are so easy to grab (and close to the checkout counter) that it's sometimes impossible to resist. If you're going to treat yourself, do the least amount of damage.

Maybe I can go off the wagon occasionally, when I do have some dark chocolate, I’ll keep it in moderation. And because there is no such thing as a free lunch, on the days that I do cave in, I’ll pay the price, with extra exercise.