Guilty pleasure? More like superfood.
The researchers conducted a combined analysis of studies from the past five decades that looked for links between eating chocolate and coronary artery disease, which included data from more than 336,000 participants who reported their consumption of chocolate. And those who ate chocolate more than once a week were associated with an 8% lower risk of blocked arteries, compared to those who ate chocolate less than once a week.
“Our study suggests that chocolate helps keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy,” study author Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston explained in a statement. “Chocolate contains heart-healthy nutrients like flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid that can reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol).”
Their findings build on previous research that found that consuming cocoa reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, and reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Scientists believe that the flavonoids found in chocolate (and red wine) do this by lowering blood pressure and improving vascular function – that is, the efficiency with which the blood supplies oxygen and nutrients to the entire body, in addition to eliminating waste materials.
That is good news for the many people who have turned to sweet chocolate during the coronavirus outbreak. In fact, Americans spent $ 3.7 billion on chocolate in the 17-week period ending June 27, which is 6.3% more than the same period last year, Nielsen reported. And while sales of dark chocolate rose 13.6%, milk chocolate has proven to be the candy that most people are sinking their teeth into during the pandemic, with Americans spending $ 2.9 billion.
Privately owned Mars told CNN that he has seen online sales of chocolate candies as M & M’s “rocket”. Hershey HSY,
reported that sales of chocolate syrup, baking chips and cocoa increased 30% in March as quarantined families stocked up to spend time together baking. While sales have slowed as the pandemic has dragged on, the company expects more consumption at home, as well as stores to replenish their inventories as more markets reignite, will soon boost sales again.
Related:Hershey’s profit exceeds estimates as sales fall short
However, this new study on chocolate consumption did not examine portion sizes, or whether subjects savored dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or some other cocoa candy to fuel their weekly chocolate habit.
So Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, a volunteer with the American Heart Association and a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University, was more skeptical of the findings. She told MarketWatch that the new report did not take into account the lifestyle characteristics of chocolate consumers, for example.
“People who are more likely to admit that they eat chocolate regularly may have a healthy body weight, participate in physical activities and / or be less stressed. Each factor could have an independent impact on cardiovascular, “he said.
So while several studies suggest that dark chocolate in particular can have numerous health benefits, it should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet, along with healthy lifestyle practices like getting enough sleep and exercising. It is not a sweet silver bullet for heart disease alone. “And if chocolate were not substituted for another food, it would probably lead to weight gain,” Lichtenstein warned.
Among the investigations in favor of chocolate:
As noted above, chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure. High blood pressure subjects who ate dark chocolate or other flavanol-rich cocoa for two weeks in a 2010 study reduced their blood pressure more than subjects taking a placebo.
Research teams at Harvard and Denmark have also found evidence that chocolate can help prevent atrial fibrillation (also known as AFib), an irregular heart rhythm that can increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, dementia, and even the death of a person. The study of more than 55,000 people over 13 years found that those who had two to six servings of chocolate per week had a 20% lower risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those who ate chocolate less than once a month. (However, it should be noted that chocolate seemed to lose its halo effect if people ate more than six servings of chocolate per week, however this is not an excuse for overeating.)
Drinking dark chocolate and red wine can also improve blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s or some other type of dementia, according to a decades-long research project from Tufts and Boston universities. The recent report found that those with the highest flavonoid food intake (which also includes tea, berries, and apples) were the least likely to develop dementia. The theory is that flavonoids (antioxidant compounds found in plant foods) protect brain neurons from toxins and also help fight inflammation.
Read more:Health! Chocolate and red wine can help you avoid Alzheimer’s
Chocolate has also been shown to increase sports performance, improve mood, and reduce stress.
But keep in mind that most chocolate goodies are often packed with sugar, fat, and other additives to make them even tastier, which can mitigate the positive health benefits with negative side effects like weight gain or breakouts of acne in adults. A standard 70% to 85% cocoa dark chocolate bar contains about 600 calories and 24 grams of sugar, notes the American Heart Association. Milk chocolate has about the same amount of calories, but twice as much sugar. Nutritionists generally recommend consuming 1 ounce of dark chocolate per serving to maximize health benefits and balance calories.
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