How cocoa benefits heart - Study

IN the last decade significant studies have
shown the health benefits of eating
chocolate - or more specifically cocoa - as
this food contains polyphenol, antioxidants
similar to those found in red wine, fruits
and vegetables that help to reduce the risk
of heart disease.
Researchers in a new study to explain how
cocoa benefits the heart related its heart
health benefits to its polyphenol content
found to boost the HDL (good) cholesterol in
the blood. An improved higher ratio of
“good” cholesterol to “bad cholesterol,” is
associated with a lower risk for
cardiovascular disease.
Polyphenols and flavonols are the main
groups of antioxidants known for their
health benefits. Antioxidants, consisting of
vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene, protect
cells from the damage by neutralizing free
radicals, helping to thwart cancer, aging,
and cardiovascular disease.
Writing in the Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry, the researchers reported
that cocoa’s potential ability to boost HDL
levels was related to a protein, which boost
levels of a compound called apolipoprotein
A1 (Apo-A1), which is required by the body
to produce HDL-cholesterol.
While it is known that consumption of
cocoa polyphenols may boost HDL
cholesterol levels, and decrease LDL
cholesterol levels, the Japanese researchers
state that “the mechanisms responsible for
these effects of cocoa on cholesterol
metabolism have yet to be fully elucidated”.
The awareness on the health benefits of
polyphenols from cocoa have been on the
increase for some years. To date studies
have reported potential benefits for
cardiovascular health, skin health, and even
brain health.
However, not just any cocoa product will
do. The heart benefits are reserved for
cocoa powder and dark chocolate only,
both of which are high in antioxidants and
low in sugar.
The results of an eight-year study by
German researchers showed that eating just
6 grams of chocolate—the equivalent of
one square—per day, lowered the risk of
heart attack and stroke by 39 percent.
This isn’t the first study to extol the benefits
of chocolate. Findings of research
conducted by McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada indicated that
eating about one bar of chocolate per week
can help decrease the risk of stroke by 22
percent, as well as reduce the risk of death
after a stroke.
Even those who have already suffered a
heart attack can benefit from the
consumption of chocolate, indicated a study
in an issue of the Journal.