Dark chocolate can fight heart attacks

Published on 30/08/2004 01:50

SCIENTISTS have found that eating dark chocolate could help prevent the hardening of the arteries that leads to heart attacks.

The study, involving 17 healthy young volunteers who agreed to eat a bar of dark chocolate and then be given an ultrasound scan, found that eating the chocolate seemed to make the blood vessels more flexible.

The chocolate was given on some days and fake chocolate on others. Dark chocolate is rich in flavanoids, which act as natural antioxidants - chemicals that help to prevent hardening of the arteries.

However, that doesn’t mean chocolate binges will ward off a heart attack, experts warn. They cautioned that the weight gain from eating a lot of it would probably cancel out the apparent benefit.

Cacao, the plant that chocolate comes from, has for centuries been viewed as magical. Although enjoyed worldwide, until recently it was considered a treat that provided no substantial nutritional value.

The study, conducted by cardiologists at Athens Medical School in Greece, set out to test whether chocolate affected the functioning of so-called endothelial cells in the walls of blood vessels, which are considered a mirror of the overall health of the cardiovascular system.