Lead researcher Dirk Taubert, of the University Hospital, University of Cologne (Germany), tested 44 volunteers aged 56 to 73 years, who were reasonably healthy, had normal weight, but had mild high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. Subjects ate 6.3 grams (30 kilocalories), equivalent to about 1.5 pieces of Hershey® Kisses, of either white chocolate or dark chocolate daily for five months.

The group, on average, had a blood pressure of about 147 over 86 (systolic over diastolic). Hypertension is defined medically as systolic and diastolic blood pressures greater than 140 and 90 millimeters of Mercury (mmHg), respectively. It is a major health problem in the world, causing problems in about 600 million people and contributing to about seven million human deaths each year.

The results showed that the people eating the dark chocolate had a small, but noticeable drop in blood pressure (drop of 2.9 points in systolic pressure and a drop of 1.9 points in diastolic pressure) without an increase in weight, blood lipid levels, or blood sugar (glucose) levels. The group of people eating white chocolate had no noticeable reduction in blood pressure.

White chocolate does not contain cocoa, which contains flavanols, a plant-based compound that seems to help to produce a healthy heart.

Taubert said that the reduction in blood pressure was enough to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Taubert team stated that a 3-point drop in systolic pressure reduces the risk of stroke by about 8%, of death from coronary artery disease by about 5%, and of over-all mortality by about 4%.

The results indicate that a small but steady absorption of flavanol-rich cocoa, which is found in dark chocolate, helps to produce chemical changes that help to dilate blood vessels and regulate blood pressure. Although the study indicated such results, researchers warn that further studies are needed within a larger and more diverse set of subjects. In addition, any weight gain from eating more dark chocolate could offset any health benefits.

The results of the Taubert study, titled “Effects of Low Habitual Cocoa Intake on Blood Pressure and Bioactive Nitric Oxide”, appear in the Wednesday, July 4, 2007 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). Collaborators with Taubert include Renate Roesen, Clara Lehmann, Norma Jung, and Edgar Schomig.

A summary of the results appear at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/298/1/49.

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