A new study about the somehow controversial effects of black chocolate on human health adds new mounting evidence that links black chocolate with health benefits.
The study
The study was financed by the University Hospital in Cologne and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 5 july 2007, suggests that a tiny amount of dark chocolate consumed on a daily basis lowers blood pressure.
The volunteers for the study consumed six grams of dark chocolate per day, for almost five months.
The effects
The results of this experiment indicated that the people who ate dark chocolate ended up with lower blood pressure readings that the ones who ate white chocolate.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Dirk Taubert, said that the blood pressure reductions with dark chocolate were small but still substantial enough to reduce cardiovascular disease risks.
In case you’re wondering “how much chocolate is six grams?”, the answer is one or one and a half squares.
More benefits
Other beneficial effects of dark chocolate:
- eating chocolate releases endorphins in the brain, which act as pain-relievers,
- eating chocolate reduces stress. The sugar in chocolate may reduce stress and have a calming and pain relieving effect,
- eating chocolate does not trigger migraine headaches.
Too bad I don’t live in the USA to be able to order some gourmet dark chocolate
Are you a regular consumer of dark chocolate? If so, do you feel any improvements in your health (or mood) that can be linked to it? Let us know in the comments.
