Dark Chocolate -The Natural Ally Against Hypertension

Aliments and drinks that contain flavinols - the natural antioxidants - are known to have extremely positive effects: in the battle against high blood pressure. Tea, red wine and dark chocolate are pleasant and efficient "treatments" for high blood pressure.

The most recently discovered aliment belonging to this class was studied by US experts that made the results public in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Both natural and delicious, dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and, at the same time increases the insulin. A bar of chocolate is all that it takes.

This study was performed in Italy , the University of l'Aguila, with the definite purpose of finding new methods to lower blood pressure. 10 men and 10 women, all hypertensives, that haven't been previously on a treatment to lower their blood pressure nor never had other conditions. All the 20 people were non-smokers. The first step was not to eat chocolate at all for about 14 days. Then, the group was splited into two halves. Each group was daily administrated for 15 days, a bar of 3,5 oz of chocolate. The difference consists in the fact that one group received only white chocolate, while the other - dark chocolate. The next seven days there were no flavonoids in the alimentation of any of the groups. Then the types of chocolate were switched: a white chocolate lacks flavonoids from its composition, which are only present in dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate was proved to lower blood pressure in 15 days, while no change occurred with the white. The group that ate dark chocolate for these 15 days registered a decrease in insulin resistance and of bad cholesterol (10%). These aspects suffered no change in the people that consumed white chocolate only.

As effective as it is, chocolate cannot defeat hypertension on its own. Physical activity and a healthy diet as well as the medicines remain the best ways to lower your blood pressure. Chocolate helps, but it doesn't treat hypertension.