dark chocolate and sterols appear to lower blood pressure and cholesterol
Dark chocolate and sterols, chemicals naturally occurring in plants, do appear to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, University of Illinois researchers say.
People in the University of Illinois study who ate two of the 100-calorie chocolate bars per day averaged a 2 percent decrease in overall cholesterol readings and more than 5 percent in low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol.That's the so-called "bad" type of cholesterol because of its propensity to build up in arteries feeding the heart and brain.
The bars also yielded a drop in systolic blood pressure, which measures pressure on the arteries, of nearly 6 points, according to the results reported in the Journal of Nutrition this month.
Together, the results indicate that regular consumption of cocoa products may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, a class that includes heart attacks and strokes, the researchers wrote.
People in the University of Illinois study who ate two of the 100-calorie chocolate bars per day averaged a 2 percent decrease in overall cholesterol readings and more than 5 percent in low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol.That's the so-called "bad" type of cholesterol because of its propensity to build up in arteries feeding the heart and brain.
The bars also yielded a drop in systolic blood pressure, which measures pressure on the arteries, of nearly 6 points, according to the results reported in the Journal of Nutrition this month.
Together, the results indicate that regular consumption of cocoa products may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, a class that includes heart attacks and strokes, the researchers wrote.
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