Health News

February 27, 2006

A recent study of older men in the Netherlands shows that men who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death. Researchers still think it is too early in to conclude that chocolate actually led to better health because those men who ate cocoa may have other similarities that have led to better overall health. It was also pointed out that eating too much chocolate can cause obesity -- a health risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Researchers examined the eating habits of 470 healthy men who were not taking blood pressure medicine. The men who ate the most products made from cocoa beans -- including cocoa drinks, chocolate bars and chocolate pudding -- had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death. Cocoa beans contain flavanols, which are thought to increase nitric oxide in the blood and improve the function of blood vessels.