Yes, Cocoa Is Good For The Heart!

The position we take in life today depends on many circumstances - our personal data, our perseverance, luck and chance. In the same way, most diseases are multifactorial. The combination of genetic factors and the daily choices we make without realizing it are to blame for the onset of a significant proportion of cardiovascular disease. Let's talk about one of them - chocolate.

For centuries, cocoa-rich chocolate has been known not only for its pleasant taste, but also for its supposed good health effects. The Incas consumed it as a beverage, and with the discovery of the new world, cocoa appeared in Europe in the 16th century.

Epidemiological data show that regular consumption of plant-based foods reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially for cocoa, which is rich in polyphenols and has a beneficial effect on blood pressure, insulin resistance and platelet function.

This news is hardly entirely surprising, but here is a slightly more in-depth analysis that can inspire skepticism.

How does cocoa protect our heart health?

It is very nice to talk about chocolate and how healthy it is, but it is important to clarify whether there is science behind it or we are just gluttons. In this case, the issue is well studied and many mechanisms have been discovered by which cocoa affects the human body.

• Endothelial and nitric oxide (NO) function

The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that covers the inner lumen of blood vessels and is involved in preventing plaque formation and regulating blood flow. Endothelial cells produce and secrete a wide range of substances that affect the vascular wall locally, such as nitric oxide. The latter leads to vascular relaxation, prevents the attachment and migration of leukocytes through the vessel wall, as well as the proliferation of muscle cells and platelet aggregation. Thus, endothelial dysfunction is associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. It has already been shown that in patients suffering from coronary heart disease, consumption of foods rich in flavonoids (black tea and red wine) improves endothelial function, and green tea has a similar effect in healthy smokers.

Cocoa has been shown to have a similar effect in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. For example, in smokers, a cocoa drink rich in flavonoids rapidly increases the level of circulating nitric oxide. It is interesting to note that the intake of flavonoid-rich beverages causes an increase in blood flow to the gray matter of the brain as measured by magnetic resonance imaging and suggests that cocoa flavonoids could possibly have a protective effect against dementia.

• Antioxidant properties

We've all heard that antioxidants are a good thing. If we talk about patients with heart disease, we can say that oxidative stress and the reduction of antioxidant resistance in the body play an important role in the occurrence of atherosclerosis. Especially vascular disease after transplantation, including bypass. Specific experiments have revealed that 2 hours after consumption of 40 grams of dark chocolate there is vasodilation, improvement in coronary vascular function and decreased adhesion of platelets (their adhesion to the walls of blood vessels).

• Platelet function

Platelet dysfunction is one of the other features of atherosclerotic disease. A study among healthy volunteers showed that daily consumption of 100 grams of dark chocolate was associated with a significant reduction in platelet aggregation (sticking) and such an effect was not present when consuming milk or white chocolate. Cocoa reduces not only aggregation but also platelet adhesion to vessel walls.

• Effect on blood pressure

The increase in nitric oxide itself is associated with a slight decrease in blood pressure. Other mechanisms that could be related to this action of cocoa have been studied, including in vitro evidence that it has an inhibitory effect on angiotensin converting enzyme. Whatever the specific mechanisms, numerous studies have found that cocoa is related to blood pressure.

Let's not forget that cocoa, although beneficial, is not a sweet antidote to the abuse of smoking, alcohol and other risk factors.