Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure in the early stages of hypertension

Although chocolate is not a substitute for medication to control blood pressure, and especially not advisable in larger quantities due to the high content of fat and sugar, it has been shown to have beneficial effects on early hypertension, and that should not be automatically excluded from the diet in the early stages of hypertension.

Dark chocolate may have a little benefit in terms of lowering high blood pressure in early stages.

There has been a research not so long ago on blood pressure in which they compared white and dark chocolate. White chocolate showed no effect, but the dark chocolate showed reduction of pressure in a way that enhanced the expansion of blood vessels.

Already the DASH diet has also showed that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol and improves insulin sensitivity, said Dr. Dirk Taubert of University Hospital in Cologne.

Among adults with mild hypertension (stage 1) persons who consumed dark chocolate daily for 18 weeks had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while those who took the white chocolate did not have such an advantage.

After 18 weeks, they saw that the patients who ate dark chocolate had a decrease in systolic blood pressure on average 2.9 ± 1.6 mm Hg (P <0 data-blogger-escaped-.001=”” data-blogger-escaped-1.0=”” data-blogger-escaped-1.9=”” data-blogger-escaped-20=”” data-blogger-escaped-24=”” data-blogger-escaped-30=”” data-blogger-escaped-3=”” data-blogger-escaped-4=”” data-blogger-escaped-56=”” data-blogger-escaped-5=”” data-blogger-escaped-6.3=”” data-blogger-escaped-68=”” data-blogger-escaped-73=”” data-blogger-escaped-8-isoprostane=”” data-blogger-escaped-86=”” data-blogger-escaped-8=”” data-blogger-escaped-a=”” data-blogger-escaped-accompanied=”” data-blogger-escaped-ages=”” data-blogger-escaped-all=”” data-blogger-escaped-also=”” data-blogger-escaped-although=”” data-blogger-escaped-among=”” data-blogger-escaped-an=”” data-blogger-escaped-and=”” data-blogger-escaped-artery=”” data-blogger-escaped-ate=”” data-blogger-escaped-attack=”” data-blogger-escaped-authors=”” data-blogger-escaped-average=”” data-blogger-escaped-beans=”” data-blogger-escaped-benefits.=”” data-blogger-escaped-blood=”” data-blogger-escaped-body=”” data-blogger-escaped-but=”” data-blogger-escaped-butter=”” data-blogger-escaped-by=”” data-blogger-escaped-cardiovascular=”” data-blogger-escaped-cause=”” data-blogger-escaped-causes=”” data-blogger-escaped-changes=”” data-blogger-escaped-chocolate=”” data-blogger-escaped-clinical=”” data-blogger-escaped-cocoa=”” data-blogger-escaped-contain=”” data-blogger-escaped-contained=”” data-blogger-escaped-coronary=”” data-blogger-escaped-dark=”” data-blogger-escaped-day=”” data-blogger-escaped-death=”” data-blogger-escaped-decrease=”” data-blogger-escaped-decreased=”” data-blogger-escaped-diastolic=”” data-blogger-escaped-disease=”” data-blogger-escaped-does=”” data-blogger-escaped-due=”” data-blogger-escaped-effect=”” data-blogger-escaped-endothelium=”” data-blogger-escaped-estimates=”” data-blogger-escaped-even=”” data-blogger-escaped-fat=”” data-blogger-escaped-flavonols=”” data-blogger-escaped-from=”” data-blogger-escaped-g=”” data-blogger-escaped-glucose=”” data-blogger-escaped-heart=”” data-blogger-escaped-hen=”” data-blogger-escaped-hg=”” data-blogger-escaped-hypertension=”” data-blogger-escaped-i=”” data-blogger-escaped-iagra=”” data-blogger-escaped-important=”” data-blogger-escaped-improvements=”” data-blogger-escaped-in=”” data-blogger-escaped-inhibitors=”” data-blogger-escaped-is=”” data-blogger-escaped-its=”” data-blogger-escaped-kcal=”” data-blogger-escaped-leading=”” data-blogger-escaped-lipids=”” data-blogger-escaped-liquid=”” data-blogger-escaped-made=”” data-blogger-escaped-makes=”” data-blogger-escaped-matching=”” data-blogger-escaped-men=”” data-blogger-escaped-mg=”” data-blogger-escaped-mm=”” data-blogger-escaped-modest=”” data-blogger-escaped-mortality=”” data-blogger-escaped-muscle=”” data-blogger-escaped-natural=”” data-blogger-escaped-nitric=”” data-blogger-escaped-not=”” data-blogger-escaped-of=”” data-blogger-escaped-on=”” data-blogger-escaped-or=”” data-blogger-escaped-other=”” data-blogger-escaped-overall=”” data-blogger-escaped-oxide=”” data-blogger-escaped-percentage=”” data-blogger-escaped-phosphodiesterase-5=”” data-blogger-escaped-plasma.=”” data-blogger-escaped-polyphenol-free=”” data-blogger-escaped-polyphenols=”” data-blogger-escaped-population=”” data-blogger-escaped-pressure=”” data-blogger-escaped-prevailing=”” data-blogger-escaped-production=”” data-blogger-escaped-reduces=”” data-blogger-escaped-reduction=”” data-blogger-escaped-relative=”” data-blogger-escaped-relaxation=”” data-blogger-escaped-risk=”” data-blogger-escaped-say=”” data-blogger-escaped-sildenafil=”” data-blogger-escaped-small=”” data-blogger-escaped-smooth=”” data-blogger-escaped-solid=”” data-blogger-escaped-solids.=”” data-blogger-escaped-stimulatory=”” data-blogger-escaped-stroke=”” data-blogger-escaped-suggest=”” data-blogger-escaped-systolic=”” data-blogger-escaped-that=”” data-blogger-escaped-the=”” data-blogger-escaped-their=”” data-blogger-escaped-to=”” data-blogger-escaped-unlike=”” data-blogger-escaped-vascular=”” data-blogger-escaped-vasodilation.=”” data-blogger-escaped-was=”” data-blogger-escaped-weight=”” data-blogger-escaped-which=”” data-blogger-escaped-white=”” data-blogger-escaped-women=”” data-blogger-escaped-wrote.=””>”This is certainly good for chocolate lovers who are concerned about your blood pressure, although it still does not change in clinical practice”, warned Professor Alice H. Lichtenstein, Tuft University in Boston, which was included in the study.

“The differences themselves, on average, were quite modest. If someone is treated for hypertension, the effect of lowering would probably not be enough for adequate treatment. It is more an indication that the chocolate has beneficial ingredients, and that it should figure out exactly what its effect is.

In short-term studies, high doses of cocoa (more than 100 g / day) demonstrated to improve endothelial function and reduces blood pressure from the effects of polyphenols, more specifically known as the subclasses of flavonols.

It remains unknown whether long-term consumption of moderate amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

All participants ate either dark chocolate or white chocolate for 18 weeks. All patients had diagnosed the hypertension (from 130/85 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg) or hypertension, the first stage (from 140/90 mm Hg to 160/100 mm Hg). After 18 weeks, the main outcome measure was change in blood pressure, and secondary endpoints included changes in plasma markers of vasodilative (S-nitrosoglutathione) and nitric oxide, and oxidative stress (8-isoprostane) and bioavailability of cocoa polyphenols .

Evidence for a beneficial effect on vascular endothelial function of the fact that the drop in blood pressure accompanied by a sustained increase of S-nitrosoglutathione by 0.23 ± 0.12 nmol / L (P <0 data-blogger-escaped-.001=”” data-blogger-escaped-after=”” data-blogger-escaped-and=”” data-blogger-escaped-appearance=”” data-blogger-escaped-ate=”” data-blogger-escaped-br=”” data-blogger-escaped-chocolate.=”” data-blogger-escaped-cocoa=”” data-blogger-escaped-daily=”” data-blogger-escaped-dark=”” data-blogger-escaped-in=”” data-blogger-escaped-of=”” data-blogger-escaped-phenols=”” data-blogger-escaped-plasma=”” data-blogger-escaped-ration=”” data-blogger-escaped-the=”” data-blogger-escaped-their=””>
In contrast, the patients who ate white chocolate without polyphenols had no change in either blood pressure or plasma biomarkers.

“The most intriguing finding of this study is that small amounts of commercial cocoa confectionary convey a similar blood pressure-lowering potential compared with comprehensive dietary modifications that have proven efficacy to reduce cardiovascular problems. While adherence to require complex changes in lifestyle and behavior is often a long-term poor, and requires continuous counseling, adoption of small amounts of flavanol-rich cocoa into the habitual diet is a dietary modification that is easy to follow. This is a promising behavioral approach to reduce blood pressure in individuals with blood pressure above optimal, “the researchers concluded.