Is eating chocolate a good way to reduce cardiovascular disease risk?

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Could it really be true? The very thing that is supposed to be bad for us and make us fat could actually be good for our heart health? Apparently so.

Heart and circulation

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Could it really be true? The very thing that is supposed to be bad for us and make us fat could actually be good for our heart health? Apparently so.

A new Australian study recruited over 2000 people with high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome (a collection of risk factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes). The participants had no history of cardiovascular disease or taking medications for high blood pressure. The purpose of the study was to investigate the long-term effectiveness and cost effectiveness of daily dark chocolate consumption on cardiovascular disease risk. Results were interesting indeed. According to the study, eating dark chocolate daily can reduce cardiovascular events by 85 in 10,000 people treated over 10 years.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, causing around 29 percent of all deaths. Considering that it is largely considered a preventable disease, much research has gone into finding the best ways to keep our hearts healthy. Widely recognised prevention measures include dietary modifications such as increasing fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and reducing our intake of saturated fats and sugars. Polyphenolic antioxidants, natural compounds found in some fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tea and dark chocolate are thought to be cardioprotective in their effects. These natural dynamos have been shown to have blood pressure lowering, anti-inflammatory, and anti-clotting effects, which may contribute to them protecting our hearts and blood vessels.

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