Wednesday, August 15, 2007
cocoa, chocolade bloeddruk
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| Cocoa and blood pressure |
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| Cocoa that is used to make dark chocolate contains substances called polyphenols which can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure. To look at how much effect on blood pressure it might have, investigators in Germany conducted a study in people with borderline or mild hypertension. They gave 44 adults, aged 56 through 73 years, either white chocolate or dark chocolate. The amount given was only 6.3 grams a day , about half a tablespoon of chocolate chips, so don't get too excited. White chocolate does not have the polyphenols that dark chocolate has. After 18 months they looked at how many people had high blood pressure. The prevalence of hypertension declined from 86% to 68% in the individuals who received dark chocolate with no change in incidence in those taking white chocolate. The average blood pressure only decreased 2-3 mm Hg but it was enough to shift 18% into the lower non hypertension range. This study indicates that a small amount of cocoa- based chocolate may be beneficial to individuals with high blood pressure. Please do not make the mistake that if a little is good, a lot is better.
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# posted by roodbont @ 12:44 PM 
