With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, most of us look forward, in happy anticipation, to the traditional gifts of chocolate. In my book, chocolate is one of the most delectable of treats, despite the calories. When you try to walk the straight and narrow path of healthy dietary habits, there does come a point where you have to make an exception or two, for the pure enjoyment of the taste. Well, now we have some scientific data to support the consumption of chocolate, specifically the cocoa it contains, as a heart healthy food. Good news for chocolate lovers in general and those who love chocolate and have concerns for their heart conditions. The cocoa in chocolate has been shown to be a beneficial heart treatment!

In a recent Spanish study of older patients, who either had existing heart conditions or were at high risk of developing heart disease, half of the participants were instructed to include about 1 ½ ounces of unsweetened cocoa powder, sweetened to taste with skim milk in their daily diet. The control group drank the skim milk, but without the cocoa. One month of this avant garde heart treatment revealed that those who consumed the cocoa showed reduced levels of what are termed ‘adhesion molecules’, one of the important signatures of developing atherosclerosis. These ‘adhesion molecules’ are specific types of proteins which contribute to clogging of the arteries, also known as atherosclerotic plaque. This plaque raises your risk of heart disease.

It should be noted that the average age of the participants in the study was 70 and included people with diabetes and at least three other significant risk factors for heart disease. Among the risk factors were high blood pressure, obesity, high levels of LDL coupled with low levels of HDL cholesterol, a smoking habit and a family history of heart disease.

The only restrictions applied by the researchers to the participants normal diet was that the only cocoa they consumed was that 1 ½ ounces of unsweetened cocoa and that no additional nutritional supplements be consumed.

Surprisingly, those patients who were in the cocoa group also demonstrated an increase in their HDL (good) cholesterol and a reduction in the LDL (bad) cholesterol readings. The cocoa heart treatment also manifested its positive effects in terms of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.

Prior to this study, it had been established that chocolate contains anti-inflammatory agents called polyphenols, which help reduce your risk of heart disease. Other sources of polyphenols include coffee, tea, wine and produce.

So, who would have thought that a couple of cups of cocoa daily might qualify as a legitimate heart treatment? Now, go fix yourself a cup of this delightful heart treatment and tuck yourself in for a good night’s sleep! 

Tags: heart treatment, heart