Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Does chocolate prevent heart attacks?
The candy industry keeps trying to convince us that
chocolate is a health food by sponsoring and publicizing studies.
The latest, in the medical journal Hypertension (July, 2005),
shows that eating dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure.
Jeffrey B. Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University,
gave 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for 15 days to 20
people with high blood pressure. Their systolic blood pressure
dropped by an average of 11mm.
Cocoa beans are loaded with flavonoids, the antioxidants
found in all fruits, vegetables whole grains, beans and other
seeds, and antioxidants do lower blood pressure. However, dark
chocolate by itself is bitter, so candy makers add lots of sugar
and fat to make it taste good. Sugar raises blood sugar to
damage cells in diabetics, and one third of Americans are or will
become diabetic. Fat is a dense source of calories that makes
fat people fatter. So the old adage: "If it tastes good, it must be
bad." still holds for most of us. Chocolate tastes good because
of the added sugar and fat.