Valentine Yanchou Njike, of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and a team of co-researchers gave 8 ounces (227 grams) of unsweetened cocoa, sweetened cocoa, and or a placebo to 45 people who fasted from 8 to 12 hours and then ate one of the above three foods first thing in the morning.

After the six-week experiment, the 39 subjects who completed the study saw these results: unsweetened cocoa improved the function of blood vessels by 2.4%, while sweetened cocoa improved blood vessel function by 1.5%. The placebo decreased function by 0.8%.

Specifically, the researchers tested the ability of the subjects’ upper arm arteries to flex, which is called flow mediated dilation (FMD). This test was performed by measuring high-frequency ultrasound before and after eating the chocolate or placebo.

The researchers see these initial results as promising for the health benefits of unsweetened dark chocolate.

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