We all know that high blood pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death, and according to statistics, one in three adults worldwide today has high blood pressure.
In China, there are about 245 million people with hypertension, and the incidence is rising.
However, a recent study from Shaoxing People's Hospital has brought us some good news. Their study showed that consuming dark chocolate could significantly reduce the risk of essential hypertension.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, a subsidiary of Nature, used the methods of a Mendelian randomization study.
The researchers obtained cardiovascular disease data from various publicly available genomic association studies (GWAS) and analyzed the causal relationship between genetically predicted dark chocolate intake and the risk of 12 cardiovascular diseases.
These cardiovascular diseases include heart failure, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, non-rheumatic valvular disease, non-ischemic heart disease, essential hypertension, venous thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack.
The results of the study showed that the intake of dark chocolate did significantly reduce the risk of essential hypertension.
Specifically, people with higher intakes had a 27% lower risk of essential hypertension and a 31% lower risk of venous thromboembolism than those with lower intakes.
These findings provide further evidence of the benefits of dark chocolate for cardiovascular health.
Researchers note that dark chocolate is rich in substances such as flavanols, methylxanthines and caffeine, with flavanols being the main cause of cardiovascular benefits.
Flavanols can improve endothelial function, promote vasodilation, and prevent platelet aggregation by increasing the release of nitric oxide.
In addition, flavanols have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which are thought to be a major contributor to the cardiovascular system health of dark chocolate.
However, researchers also caution that excessive intake of dark chocolate may lead to negative effects and increase stress.
Therefore, moderate intake is key. We can choose to consume the right amount of dark chocolate every day to enjoy the benefits without adding an extra burden.
All in all, the study showed that dark chocolate intake significantly reduced the risk of essential hypertension. While actives such as flavanols are thought to be the main contribution of dark chocolate to cardiovascular health.
However, we still need to pay attention to the principle of moderate intake to avoid adverse effects. Therefore, in order to maintain cardiovascular health, eat some black qiao appropriately!
Bibliography:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50351-6