Day: January 22, 2006

Research indicates that eating some forms of dark chocolate is actually good for your heart. But, why?

Dark Chocolate Benefits

“…Researchers may have pinpointed the reason for those benefits, based on their analysis of the health of the Kuna Indians of Panama who consume three to four cups of flavanol-rich cocoa daily.

One of these flavanols — epicatechin — was responsible for those vascular benefits the Kuna Indians experienced when they drank certain cocoas. Among those benefits:

Higher levels of nitric oxide in the blood, demonstrating the flavanols were absorbed into, and present in, the bloodstream.

Patients with high levels of epicatechin experienced improved circulation.

Consuming pure epicatechin had almost the same effect as eating flavanol-rich cocoa.