2. Recently identified virtues of chocolate is its
lofty ranking as the third largest dietary source
of antioxidants
Chocolate is derived from the cocoa bean,
one of the most concentrated sources of
flavanols, a subgroup of the natural
antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids
3. Flavonoids are thought to exert antioxidant
protections against free radicals, help reduce
platelet activation, contribute to vasodilation to
improve blood flow and positively influence
production of eicosanoids
Chocolate also has been found to improve
endothelial function, demonstrate abundant
antioxidant activity and inhibit platelet
activation and function
4. Researchers examined cocoa’s relationship to
cardiovascular health in 470 Dutch men aged
65 to 84 years over 15 years
Men who consumed cocoa regularly had
significantly lower blood pressure than those
who did not
Men in the group with the highest cocoa
consumption were half as likely as the others to
die from cardiovascular disease
5. Healthy adults who consumed flavanol-rich
cocoa had significantly greater acute and
sustained increases in peripheral blood flow
Consumption of flavanol-rich chocolate causes
a rise in epicatechin antioxidant levels and in
antioxidant activity and a fall in fat oxidation in
a dose-related manner
6. Researchers used the high- versus low-flavanol
cocoa beverage technique with a sample of
smokers. Consumption of the flavanol-rich
cocoa was associated with significant
improvement in blood flow and significant
increases in circulating nitric oxide
7. In a 15-year study with 470 elderly men, those
who consumed the highest amounts of cocoa
were half as likely to die from cardiovascular
disease
8. The darker the chocolate, the more likely it is to
offer health benefits. Because polyphenols are
found in the cocoa bean but not in
milk, cream, sugar, or other additives added to
other types of chocolate, the darker the
chocolate, the better
White chocolate, which is devoid of
antioxidants, offers no health benefits
