Easter Eggs Are Good If They Are Made Of ... Chocolate

Author: Ivan Red Jr. Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Easter Eggs Are Good If They Are Made Of ... Chocolate

Dark chocolate improves the functioning of blood vessels and even slows down aging ...

Easter eggs can be extremely beneficial to health. Do you doubt that? In fact, it is completely true, but only if they are in the form of small eggs made of dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa.

It has long been known that cocoa has a beneficial effect on health. Many studies have also shown its role in lowering blood pressure. Until now, it was thought that this effect was observed only when consuming a large amount of dark chocolate, due to the content of flavonoids. Then, however, the harm of eating fats and carbohydrates with it outweighs the benefits.

Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne have proven that the desired effect can be achieved with a small bar of chocolate, equal to about 30 calories. They observed 44 people between the ages of 56 and 73 with prehypertension (between 130/85 and 139/89 mmHg) or first-degree hypertension (between 140/90 and 160/100 mmHg). Those who consumed chocolate did not gain weight or blood sugar and lipid levels. However, the upper limit of blood pressure dropped by 2.9 mmHg, and the lower - by 1.9 mmHg. Although minimal, these changes are clinically significant. The reduction of the upper limit by 3 mmHg reduces the risk of stroke by 8%, coronary heart disease - 5%.

The results of another clinical study show that dark chocolate improves the functioning of blood vessels.

In this sample of healthy volunteers, taking dark chocolate for a short period of time showed a significant improvement in vascular function, said Dr. Valentin Yanchu of the Yale Research Prevention Center, a researcher in the study.

During a 6-week period, 45 people consumed 227 grams of cocoa without sugar, cocoa with sugar or placebo daily.

The ability of an artery in the upper limb to relax and dilate with increased blood flow was measured by high-frequency ultrasound before and at the end of the study.

Of the 39 people who completed the study, this function was significantly improved in individuals who consumed both types of cocoa, by 2.4% for people who consumed cocoa without sugar and 1.5% for those who consumed cocoa with sugar.

The latest study on the health effects of natural chocolate shows that eating a few pieces of natural chocolate every day slows down the aging process and prevents the appearance of wrinkles, according to a study by British scientists.

For three months, a group of volunteers had to consume natural chocolate daily, another - plain milk. The results of the study show that the skin of the participants in the first group better copes with the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. According to experts, dark chocolate also reduces the likelihood of skin cancer.

These properties of natural chocolate are due to the large amount of antioxidants it contains. The higher the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate temptation, the stronger its therapeutic effect.

Easter Eggs Are Good If They Are Made Of ... Chocolate

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