Cocoa linked to reduced blood pressure

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study of elderly Dutch men shows that cocoa consumption is linked to reduced blood pressure and reduced mortality.
Cocoa has been linked to various health benefits and this may be because it contains chemicals called flavanols, which are able to lower blood pressure. In a new study, researchers in the Netherlands questioned a group of nearly 500 men between the age of 65 and 84 years. Over 15 years of follow up, those who consumed cocoa regularly had lower blood pressure.

The study also showed that those in the highest cocoa consumption group were half as likely as the others to die of heart disease or, indeed, any cause. It may be that blood pressure lowering is not the only benefit of cocoa - other mechanisms related to its antioxidant content may also be at work. Similar research has also shown that consumption of dark chocolate has health benefits.

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine 27th February 2006 Volume 166 pages 411-417