Your Health
Chocolate
Does A Man's Heart Good
Steven Reinberg for
HealthDayNews
New York
-
Chocolate
lovers, take heart: Dutch research suggests that eating or drinking
cocoa appears to lower blood pressure and even reduce the death risks
for older men.
Since the 1700s, cocoa has been
associated with
healthy hearts, but only recently has scientific evidence backed up
these claims, according to a new report in the Feb. 27 issue of the Archives
of Internal Medicine.
According
to the study, cocoa contains flavan-3-ols, which have been linked to
lower blood pressure and improved function of the cells lining the
blood vessels.
In their study, researchers led by
Brian Buijsse,
of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, in
Bilthoven, examined links between cocoa and cardiovascular health in
470 men aged 65 to 84 years. The men had physical examinations and were
interviewed about their diet at the start of the study in 1985 and then
again in 1990 and 1995.
The researchers found that over a
15-year
period, men who ate cocoa--including chocolate--regularly had
significantly lower blood pressure compared with those who didn't.
The
sweet treat might even help ward off death. The researchers reported
that 314 men died over the course of the study, with 152 of those
deaths blamed on heart disease. Men who consumed the highest amount of
cocoa were half as likely to die from cardiovascular disease, compared
to men who ate little or no cocoa, the team found. In addition, men who
ate the most cocoa were less likely to die from any causes.
For
these men, the risk remained low even after taking into account other
factors, such as weight, smoking, physical activity, calorie intake and
drinking alcohol, the researchers found.
The researchers believe
that the lowered death risk didn't stem so much from lowered blood
pressure, as from other heart-healthy benefits linked to flavan-3-ols.
And since cocoa is rich in antioxidants, it may also protect against
other diseases linked to oxidative stress, such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and certain types of cancer, the researchers
speculated.
One expert said the study helps
confirm the use of cocoa as part of a healthful diet.
"Cocoa is the most concentrated
source of bioflavonoid antioxidants readily available in our diets,"
said Dr. David L. Katz,
an associate professor of public health, and director of the Prevention
Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.
"An
accumulating body of evidence suggests that this translates into health
benefits for those who consume cocoa or dark chocolate with a cocoa
content of 60% or more. Benefits have been seen in endothelial
function, a measure of blood vessel health, blood pressure, insulin
levels and serum lipids," added Katz, author of The Flavor Point
Diet.
The evidence is now very
consistent that cocoa has health-promoting effects, Katz said.
"However,
it is almost certainly dose-dependent," he added, cautioning that
there's a calorie-rich downside to excessive cocoa consumption. "Cocoa
comes in foods that tend to be energy-dense, and the harm of excess
calories could readily offset the benefit of antioxidants."
And
he stressed that cocoa's heart-healthy benefits only come from
bittersweet dark chocolate and in concentrated cocoa beverages, which
contain an effective dose of antioxidants, along with magnesium,
arginine and fiber.
"This is not the case for milk
chocolate,
which contains potentially harmful saturated fats, or candy bars that
dilute cocoa with a long list of other ingredients," Katz said.
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