Chocolate
Does a Man's Heart Good
02.27.06, 12:00 AM ET
MONDAY,
Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Chocolate lovers, take heart: Dutch research
suggests that eating or drinking cocoa appears to lower blood pressure
and even reduce the death risks for older men.
Since the
1700s, cocoa has been associated with healthy hearts, but only recently
has scientific evidence backed up these claims, according to a new report
in the Feb. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
According
to the study, cocoa contains flavan-3-ols, which have been linked to
lower blood pressure and improved function of the cells lining the blood
vessels.
In their
study, researchers led by Brian Buijsse, of the National Institute for
Public Health and the Environment, in Bilthoven, examined links between
cocoa and cardiovascular health in 470 men aged 65 to 84 years. The
men had physical examinations and were interviewed about their diet
at the start of the study in 1985 and then again in 1990 and 1995.
The researchers
found that over a 15-year period, men who ate cocoa -- including chocolate
-- regularly had significantly lower blood pressure compared with those
who didn't.
The sweet
treat might even help ward off death. The researchers reported that
314 men died over the course of the study, with 152 of those deaths
blamed on heart disease. Men who consumed the highest amount of cocoa
were half as likely to die from cardiovascular disease, compared to
men who ate little or no cocoa, the team found. In addition, men who
ate the most cocoa were less likely to die from any causes.
For these
men, the risk remained low even after taking into account other factors,
such as weight, smoking, physical activity, calorie intake and drinking
alcohol, the researchers found.
The researchers
believe that the lowered death risk didn't stem so much from lowered
blood pressure, as from other heart-healthy benefits linked to flavan-3-ols.
And since cocoa is rich in antioxidants, it may also protect against
other diseases linked to oxidative stress, such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, and certain types of cancer, the researchers speculated.
One expert
said the study helps confirm the use of cocoa as part of a healthful
diet.
"Cocoa
is the most concentrated source of bioflavonoid antioxidants readily
available in our diets," said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor
of public health, and director of the Prevention Research Center at
Yale University School of Medicine.
"An
accumulating body of evidence suggests that this translates into health
benefits for those who consume cocoa or dark chocolate with a cocoa
content of 60 percent or more. Benefits have been seen in endothelial
function, a measure of blood vessel health, blood pressure, insulin
levels, and serum lipids," added Katz, author of The Flavor Point
Diet.
The evidence
is now very consistent that cocoa has health-promoting effects, Katz
said.
"However,
it is almost certainly dose-dependent," he added, cautioning that
there's a calorie-rich downside to excessive cocoa consumption. "Cocoa
comes in foods that tend to be energy-dense, and the harm of excess
calories could readily offset the benefit of antioxidants."
And he
stressed that cocoa's heart-healthy benefits only come from bittersweet
dark chocolate and in concentrated cocoa beverages, which contain an
effective dose of antioxidants, along with magnesium, arginine and fiber.
"This
is not the case for milk chocolate, which contains potentially harmful
saturated fats, or candy bars that dilute cocoa with a long list of
other ingredients," Katz said.
Forbes
online- Feb. 27, 2006
