28 BBC SCIENCE FOCUS MAGAZINE COLLECTION
How guilty should you feel about devouring
some chocolate? Not much, apparently.
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chocolate isn’t all bad...
LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Substances called flavanols in cocoa work
like blood pressure-lowering drugs called
ACE inhibitors. Flavanols stimulate the
body to produce nitrous oxide in the blood,
which helps open up blood vessels.
Researchers found regularly eating cocoa
lowered blood pressure. But one per cent
of people had stomach aches from
over-indulging!1
PREVENTS LIVER DAMAGE
The beneficial effects of chocolate on blood
pressure come from the high flavanol
content, and the nitrous oxide that dilates
blood vessels. High blood pressure in the
veins of the liver is thought to be linked
with liver damage and chronic
liver disease. Early research has shown
that dark chocolate improves blood
flow in the liver.BOOSTS ‘GOOD CHOLESTEROL’
Cocoa contains polyphenols. Eating
chocolate with high polyphenol levels
(found in dark chocolate) could improve
‘good’ cholesterol levels, according to
dietitian Gaynor Bussell. “Cocoa consists
mainly of stearic acid and oleic acid. Stearic
acid is a saturated fat, but doesn’t raise
blood cholesterol levels. Oleic acid doesn’t
raise it [either] and may even reduce it.”KEEPS YOUR HEART HEALTHY
All the effects of chocolate on the
circulatory system (lowering blood
pressure, opening up the blood vessels and
reducing inflammation) can help keep our
hearts healthy and ward off heart disease
and strokes. A review of studies of more
than 114,000 people found that those who
ate the most chocolate were 37 per cent
less likely to have coronary heart disease.23 4