Chocolate Benefits: Research Suggests Sweet Can Help Blood Pressure, Cognition

Chocolate lovers, rejoice!

Two studies published this week indicate that the delectable treat not only may help reduce blood pressure, but also can improve cognitive function.
Local chocolate makers and confectioners are not surprised.
"There has been a lot of research on the benefits of chocolate, especially higher-percentage chocolate," said Michael Recchiuti, co-owner and chocolatier of San Francisco's Recchiuti Confections, referring to darker, more concentrated chocolates.
In the first study, researchers in Australia took a look at all of the research conducted on chocolate and blood pressure and found that there is a definite, albeit slight, decrease in blood pressure when people start consuming chocolate.
Altogether, they reviewed data on 856 people involved in 20 trials that lasted anywhere from two to eight weeks. One lasted 18 weeks. On average, daily intake of the product reduced blood pressure by 2 to 3 mm Hg, or millimeters of mercury - the unit used to measure blood pressure. The effects generally were seen within two weeks of starting the diet.
"Although we don't yet have evidence for any sustained decrease in blood pressure, the small reduction we saw over the short term might complement other treatment options and might contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease," said Karin Ried of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, the report's lead author.
The research appeared in the journal The Cochrane Collaboration [PDF].
Ried and her colleagues say the rich concentration of flavanols, a group of chemicals, in chocolate is likely providing the health benefits observed. Other foods that have flavanols include apricots, apples, grapes, red wine and tea leaves.