A Few Squares Of Dark Chocolate A Day May Stave Off Artery Hardening In Smokers

ScienceDaily (Jan. 3, 2006) — Dark chocolate may stave off artery hardening in smokers, and a few squares every day could potentially cut the risk of serious heart disease, finds a small study in Heart.

Researchers compared the effects of dark (74% cocoa solids) and white chocolate on the smoothness of arterial blood flow in 20 male smokers.

In smokers the activity of both endothelial cells, which line the artery walls, and platelets, which are involved in the formation of blood clots, are continuously disrupted, making the arteries susceptible to the narrowing and hardening characteristic of coronary artery disease. Read more

Heart-healthy Compound In Chocolate Identified

ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2006) — In a multifaceted study involving the Kuna Indians of Panama, an international team of scientists has pinpointed a chemical compound that is, in part, responsible, for the heart-healthy benefits of certain cocoas and some chocolate products.

The researchers, who are from the University of California, Davis; the Heinrich-Heine University of Duesseldorf, Germany; and Harvard Medical School, hope the findings will lead to new dietary or medicinal methods for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. Read more

Cocoa And Dark Chocolate Show Positive Effects On Ldls – But Don’t Shun Veggies

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2001) — University Park, Pa. — A Penn State-led study has found that a diet high in flavonoid-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate had favorable effects on LDL (”bad” cholesterol) when compared with a diet that limited or excluded other flavonoid sources such as tea, coffee, wine, onions, apples, beans, soybeans, and orange and grape juices.

Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, Penn State distinguished professor of nutrition and leader of the study, says, “Cocoa and chocolate are ‘fun foods’ and I think Read more

New Process Boosts Levels Of Heart-healthy Compounds In Cocoa Powder

Cocoa beans — the source of chocolate — in a cacao pod. (Credit: Photo by Keith Weller; courtesy of USDA/Agricultural Research Service)ScienceDaily (May 10, 2007) — Scientists in Spain are reporting development of a new process to make cocoa powder with higher amounts of the healthful chemical compounds linked to chocolate’s beneficial effects. The study is scheduled for publication in the May 30 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Read more

Do you love chocolate?

Of course you do. Five ways to pick the heart-healthy kind

You could practically hear women cheering in the streets when recent studies linked compounds in chocolate to heart health. But before you raid the candy aisle in the name of wellness, be aware that not all chocolate is rich in flavonols, the antioxidantlike superstars that earn the treat its good-for-you reputation. All chocolate foods, including cocoa powder and bars, are made from cacao beans. (Yes, cacao is spelled correctly.) However, “the way Read more