Dark chocolate really IS good for your health

(...just don’t eat too much of it)

WE have heard reports of dark chocolate’s health benefits before – and now there’s further confirmation that it’s not too good to be true.

Those who ate a small amount every day improved the health of their hearts, research has found.

Just 20g of dark chocolate containing 90 per cent cocoa led to the biggest drop in blood pressure, while a second test group who ate a daily ‘dose’ containing 55 per cent cocoa saw a smaller reduction.

But the researchers warned that as the treat contains high amounts of fat and sugar, Britons still shouldn’t eat too much – to avoid the risk of obesity.

The study, published in the journal Nutrition and carried out by the Coimbra Institute of Portugal, concluded that daily consumption of a small amount of highcocoa content dark chocolate boosts the hearts of young, healthy adults.

Scientists gave 30 students aged between 18 and 27 either a 20g dose of chocolate with 55 per cent cocoa, or 20g containing 90 per cent cocoa – for 30 days.

Participants were not told which type they were receiving and they had their hearts and blood pressure levels tested at the beginning and end of the trial. Their findings Chocs away: Heart boost showed the greatest improvement in blood pressure in subjects who ate the highercocoa chocolate, as well as greater relaxation of their blood vessels. And the key ingredients suspected to have the vital effect on circulation are chemicals called flavanols – particularly epicatechin and catechin, which are also present in foods and drinks including tea and berries.

Research has previously suggested that occasionally tucking into a bar of chocolate may be good for us.

Last year, scientists in New York found consumption of up to three bars of chocolate a month cut a person’s risk of heart failure by 13 per cent.

Researchers believe the flavonoids boost blood vessel health and help to reduce inflammation. Dark chocolate, which has the most flavonoids and least sugar, is the most healthy.

Dr Chayakrit Krittanawong, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said then: ‘Chocolate is an important dietary source of flavonoids which are associated with reducing inflammation and increasing good cholesterol ... [and] can increase nitric oxide [a gas that widens blood vessels and boosts circulation].’

That research, which was presented at a conference in Munich, analysed five studies which involved more than 575,000 participants.