Can a bit of chocolate really be good for you? According to a study in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate was associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects.
Previous research has indicated that consumption of high amounts of cocoa-containing foods can lower blood pressure, believed to be due to the action of the cocoa polyphenols (a group of substances found in plants, some of which, such as the flavanols, are believed to be beneficial to health).
Dirk Taubert, M.D., Ph.D., of University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, and colleagues assessed the effects of low regular amounts of cocoa on blood pressure. The trial, conducted between January 2005 and December 2006, included 44 adults with untreated upper-range pre-hypertension or stage 1 hypertension. Participants were randomly assigned to receive for 18 weeks either 6.3 g (30 calories) per day of dark chocolate containing 30 mg polyphenols or matching polyphenol-free white chocolate.
The researchers found that dark chocolate intake reduced average systolic BP by −2.9 (1.6) mm Hg and diastolic BP by −1.9 (1.0) mm Hg without changes in body weight. Hypertension prevalence declined from 86% to 68%. There were no changes among those in the white chocolate group. Systolic and diastolic BP remained unchanged throughout the treatment period among those in the white chocolate group. (JAMA. 2007;298(1):49-60.
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