So, is chocolate really a heart healthy snack?
Look who says "Yes"
Researchers published in the March Journal of Clinical Nutrition, no less...
In this issue of the Journal, Grassi et al (3) report that the consumption of dark chocolate improves glucose metabolism and decreases blood pressure. They studied 15 healthy young adults with typical Italian diets that were supplemented daily with 100 g dark chocolate or 90 g white chocolate, each of which provided 480 kcal. The polyphenol contents of the dark and white chocolate were assumed to be 500 and 0 mg, respectively. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, each of which ingested one of the types of chocolate for 15 d, ingested no chocolate for a subsequent 7 d, and then ingested the other chocolate for an additional 15 d. The authors found that the dark chocolate supplement was associated with improved insulin resistance and sensitivity and decreased systolic blood pressure, whereas white chocolate had no effect. No data were shown on the changes in blood pressure during each study, although such data might have been useful to differentiate the potential short- and long-term effects of dark chocolate consumption. Also, it would have been useful to show insulin sensitivity and blood pressure values for each individual to assess a potential association between these 2 events. Nevertheless, the findings of this study are of particular interest in terms of identifying potentially healthy foods.
Read the rest of the story here:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/81/3/541
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