FHN Complementary Medicine Monthly Newsletter October 2005
Dark chocolate …it’s for you!
All right, let’s have some fun this month. At the risk of admitting that all the females have been correct about chocolate, especially around menstruation time, dark chocolate may be good for you!
A study published in Hypertension 2005;46(2):398-405 took dark chocolate and gave it to 20 patients with essential hypertension that had never been treated. The subjects were feed 100g/day of chocolate containing flavonols for 15 days. A second group were given 90 grams/ day of dark chocolate with out flavonols for 15 days. After a 7 day rest from chocolate ( wash out period) the subjects groups switched ( crossed over) and the non flavonol group now got the flavonols and vice versa.
The results…. the flavonol group lowered BP (systolic -11.5 ave and diastolic -8.5 ave.) , the non flavonol group did not. Interestingly enough the flavonol groups’ cholesterol came down as did there oral glucose tolerance test.
We have talked about other flavonols in the past such as quercetin. This is another example of whole foods having rich healing properties.
The darker the chocolate the better! I don’t want any I told you so’s!!
Sincerely
Drs. Glenn and Julie Smith
Complementary Medicine
