“Eat chocolate – it’s good for you!” Words you probably always wanted to hear, so it comes as welcome news that good quality dark chocolate is good for your heart and also good for your liver.
A study conducted by the University of Adelaide found that in people who have high blood pressure, chocolate can help to lower blood pressure and also reduce risk of heart attack.
It is the flavonols present in cocoa beans that is thought to be responsible for this positive effect of helping to dilate blood vessels.
Eating foods high in flavonols is seen to have the same beneficial impact on blood pressure as 30 minutes of exercise.
According to another study conducted in Spain and reported in the International Liver conference in Vienna, chocolate is also good for the liver.
It is seen to reduce liver damage or cirrhosis, which is the kind of scarring of the liver that can lead to cancer and organ failure.
However, before you think you can indulge your sweet tooth without guilty, understand that most commercially made chocolate is made using lots of sugar and fats, none of which are good for the heart or the liver.
Unless it is high quality dark chocolate that preserves flavonols made using very little fat and sugar, chocolate is really not that good for you!
