7/24/2007 - Small servings of dark chocolate may lower blood pressure Making broad dietary changes that include a greater emphasis on fruits and vegetables is a proven way to lower blood pressure. Some people, however, find that approach a little hard to stick with. Now, German scientists have come up with what might be a tastier solution: dark chocolate. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate may reduce high blood pressure. Like fruits and vegetables, cocoa contains polyphenols—chemical substances that may offer health benefits. Previous studies have found that people who ate high amounts of foods containing cocoa lowered their blood pressure. But there was concern that the benefits of cocoa might be offset by an increase in sugar, fat and calorie intake. Researchers designed the current study to see if a small amount of cocoa might offer a similar benefit without the possible drawbacks. The study involved 44 German adults and lasted 18 weeks. All the participants had mildly high blood pressure ranging from 130/85 to 160/100 mm Hg. Researchers randomly divided the participants into two groups. One group received about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate, while the other group received polyphenol-free white chocolate. All the people were told to avoid other cocoa products but otherwise to eat and exercise as they normally would. At the end of the study, researchers found that the dark chocolate group had reduced its average blood pressure without increasing body weight or blood levels of fats or sugars. Those in the white chocolate group, however, showed no changes in blood pressure readings. "Although the magnitude of the blood pressure reduction was small, the effects are clinically noteworthy," researchers wrote. "On a population basis, it has been estimated that a 3 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure would reduce the relative risk of stroke mortality by 8 percent, of coronary artery disease mortality by 5 percent and of all-cause mortality by 4 percent." Researchers said their "most intriguing" finding was that small amounts of dark chocolate appear to be as effective in lowering blood pressure as more comprehensive dietary changes. While long-term behavioral changes may be difficult to achieve, people may find it easier to add small amounts of dark chocolate to their daily diet, researchers said. The issue, however, is not entirely settled. The scientists pointed out that their study involved only a few older, mildly hypertensive but otherwise healthy individuals and that more research is needed to see how dark chocolate might affect a wider population over a longer time period. In the meantime, people who want to control their blood pressure should follow their doctor's advice for doing so. Back