Imagine walking into a doctor’s office and getting chocolates prescribed instead of medicines! Well, that day is not far away.
Chocolate supplements may help protect the heart and also prevent aging.About 17.9 million die of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The incidence of heart disease is climbing, especially among young people, and often lifestyle factors play a significant role.
Research has shown that chocolate has a protective effect on the heart.
A 2020 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that eating chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Previous studies have found that chocolate is beneficial for both blood pressure and the lining of blood vessels; however, this study focused on if the sweet treat affects the blood vessels supplying the heart (the coronary arteries).
he researchers found that eating chocolate more than once a week was associated with an 8% decreased risk of coronary artery disease.
"Chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid, which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol).
Chocolate appears promising for the prevention of coronary artery disease, but more research is needed to pinpoint how much and what kind of chocolate could be recommended," the researchers said.
Chocolate is known for its heart protective properties, thanks to the flavanoids.
But can supplementation reduce the risk of heart disease? To understand this, researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital conducted a large scale randomized trial.
In the trial, they tested the long-term effects of a cocoa flavanol supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease.
They found signs of preventive cardiovascular effects for cocoa flavanols, including a 27 percent reduction in the secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death.
