Cocoa Helps Reduce the Risk of Heart Attack – Golden Benefits for a Healthy Heart

Pure cocoa is not only an ingredient that creates delicious chocolate bars, but also a natural "miracle drug" that helps protect cardiovascular health. Many studies have shown that flavonoids - antioxidants abundant in cocoa beans - can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Scientists in the UK have discovered that cocoa can help reduce blood pressure, avoiding the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

High blood pressure and arterial stiffness can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in humans. Symptoms of low blood pressure include dizziness, lightheadedness, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, etc. In the long term, this condition can affect daily life and become worse if there is no diet and timely and proper treatment.

Recently, a research team from the University of Surrey (UK) began investigating the effects of flavanols in cocoa on reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, involved 11 healthy people. Over the course of eight days, each person was assigned to take either six capsules containing cocoa flavanols or six placebo capsules containing only brown sugar. Participants were given an upper arm blood pressure monitor, a finger clip that measured pulse wave velocity (PWV) to measure arterial stiffness. The scientists asked each person to measure their blood pressure and PWV at three points in time: before taking the drug, every 30 minutes for the first three hours after taking the drug, and every 60 minutes for the next nine hours. The results of the study showed that blood pressure and arterial stiffness only decreased in participants when they were high. In addition, they had no effect when blood pressure was low in the morning. However, the scientists found that improvements in blood pressure and arterial stiffness were still seen eight hours after taking the cocoa capsules. They believe that this benefit may be due to the way bacteria in the gut metabolize flavanols from cocoa.

Mr. Christian Heiss - Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey said: "The positive effects of flavanols in cocoa on the cardiovascular system are undeniable, especially on blood vessel function and blood pressure. Because cocoa is a strong antioxidant. Therefore, consuming cocoa can be a potential treatment for people with mild hypertension, helping blood circulate more easily".

However, Professor Christian Heiss recommends the use of cocoa in life. According to him, if you want to use cocoa in food or drinks with the goal of reducing blood pressure, we need to balance the ingredients used with it; especially milk or condensed milk. In addition, cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate. Therefore, users should choose dark chocolate because they contain a lot of cocoa.

Other benefits of cocoa
In addition to its positive effects on the cardiovascular system, cocoa also has many other attractive benefits.

Improve blood flow to the brain: Some studies have found that polyphenols in cocoa can reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases by improving brain function and blood flow. According to scientists, the amount of flavanols can cross the blood-brain barrier, participating in biochemical pathways that create neurons and important molecules for brain function. In addition, they also affect the production of nitric oxide, which helps relax the muscles of blood vessels; thereby improving blood flow and blood supply to the brain.

Improve mood: Cocoa has been studied to improve mood and symptoms of depression. The positive effects on mood may be due to flavanols. When entering the body, they will convert tryptophan into serotonin, helping to stabilize mood. In addition, the caffeine content in cocoa also helps evoke a feeling of enjoyment when eating.

A study on chocolate consumption and stress levels in pregnant women showed that women who regularly eat chocolate will help reduce stress and improve mood in newborns.

Support for people with asthma: Many studies show that cocoa is beneficial for people with asthma because cocoa contains anti-asthmatic compounds such as theobromine and theophylline. According to researchers, theobromine helps soothe the airways, reduce the risk of allergies and protect the body from the risk of lung cancer. Meanwhile, the active ingredient theophylline helps relax the airways and fight inflammation.