Chocolate Promotes Cardiovascular Health Among the Elderly

You might not be doing your teeth a favor, but eating chocolates may be good help you remain healthy as you age. There have been numerous studies relating chocolate consumption to cardiovascular health and other maladies, and a new study published in the Journal of Hypertension has demonstrated that drinking cocoa improved several measures of blood vessel function, especially among the elderly. The sudy attributes the improved age-related vessel function in older adults to compounds found in chocolates called flavonols.

An editorial commentary in the same journal, Cocoa beans, endothelial function and aging: an unexpected friendship?, reviews the current scientific literature backing the medicinal properties of cocoa, particularly on the role of flavonols.

But, like the editors cautioned, not all chocolates are created equal.

“… the flavanol-rich cocoa products used in experimental studies, and even present in some commercially available flavanol-rich chocolate bars that have been tested in controlled short-lasting studies, should not be confused with a number of commercially available snacks that contains many calories but are low in natural cocoa and flavanols.”

As I’ve said previously, opt for the high-fat dark chocolate. A leading chocolate manufacturer, Mars, Incorporated, claims that they have developed a patented process that helps retain as much flavonols from the cocoa beans as they are processed into chocolate. They say Dove® Dark Chocolate and CocoaVia® are processed using this procedure and are guaranteed to contain at least 100 mg of cocoa flavanols per serving.

[Photo: CocoaVia]