Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure
Author: Karen Lennox
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Dark chocolate and other cocoa-containing products lower blood pressure to a greater extent than tea, a new study has found.
Dark chocolate and other cocoa-containing products lower blood pressure more than tea, a new study has found.
In the study, researchers compared the blood pressure of patients consuming green or black tea with those of people who consumed significant amounts of cocoa-containing foods. The result was that chocolate and its derivatives lowered systolic blood pressure in 4.7% of subjects and diastolic blood pressure in 2.8% of them, respectively. According to the researchers, the observed effect is similar to monotherapy in the treatment of hypertension with beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors. A similar result was not observed in the group consuming tea.
Cocoa and tea are known to be rich in compounds called polyphenols, which are thought to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease and hypertension. High content of polyphenols is also found in vegetables and fruits. The difference in the effect of tea and cocoa on blood pressure is most likely due to the different types of polyphenols they contain.
Scientists believe that detailed research on the effect of cocoa on the development of acute coronary syndromes will be conducted soon. The results are expected to show that thanks to the chocolate bar, the risk of developing a stroke can be reduced by 20%, and that of a heart attack - by 10%.
In the study, researchers compared the blood pressure of patients consuming green or black tea with those of people who consumed significant amounts of cocoa-containing foods. The result was that chocolate and its derivatives lowered systolic blood pressure in 4.7% of subjects and diastolic blood pressure in 2.8% of them, respectively. According to the researchers, the observed effect is similar to monotherapy in the treatment of hypertension with beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors. A similar result was not observed in the group consuming tea.
Cocoa and tea are known to be rich in compounds called polyphenols, which are thought to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease and hypertension. High content of polyphenols is also found in vegetables and fruits. The difference in the effect of tea and cocoa on blood pressure is most likely due to the different types of polyphenols they contain.
Scientists believe that detailed research on the effect of cocoa on the development of acute coronary syndromes will be conducted soon. The results are expected to show that thanks to the chocolate bar, the risk of developing a stroke can be reduced by 20%, and that of a heart attack - by 10%.
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