Chocolate may reduce Blood Pressure better than Tea

Written by Gloria Tsang, RD
Published in April 2007

Study suggested cocoa is better than tea in lowering blood cholesterol

Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany reviewed a total of 10 trials published since 1966 that studied changes of blood pressure relative to cocoa or tea intake. Researchers found that intake of foods rich in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, while tea intake appeared to have no effect. They suggested a specific type of polyphenol, procyanids, found in cocoa products may be more active in heart disease prevention than flavonoids, the type of polyphenols usually found in tea. The results of this study were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in April 2007.

Editor's Note -Benefits of Chocolate?

In a more recent study published in Hypertension journal in August 2005, researchers from Italy found that dark chocolate may lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The research also found that levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in these individuals dropped by 10 percent. It is important to note that this study also used a very small test group of only 20 subjects.

A few other studies also suggested that cocoa may have heart protective effects. In November 2001, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that people with a diet high in polyphenol-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate have slightly higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) when compared with the control group. This study, however, only investigated the health effects of cocoa in 23 people.