While the harm and benefits of chocolate to humans are still the subject of extensive research, Chocolate lovers will enjoy news has come. New research published by the University of Surrey revealed that cocoa consumption improves blood circulation by reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

In the study, scientists split the participants in half and gave one group a capsule containing 6 cocoa flavanols to be consumed for 8 days, and the other group an empty capsule. The amount of flavanols in the respective capsules, with the standard amount of flavanols in half a kilo of dark chocolate. was right.

Blood pressure and arterial stiffness only fall when they are high:

The participants’ blood pressure measurements were taken before taking the capsules and every minute for the first 3 hours after ingestion, and then every hour for 9 hours afterwards. The measurements showed that chocolate consumption affected blood pressure and arterial stiffness. you only drop it when it’s high showed. If these values ​​are already low, the values ​​of the chocolate No additional reduction was observed.

However, the effects of cocoa were also observed eight hours after it was first consumed. This second effect suggests that bacteria in the gut convert cocoa flavanols. it may depend on how you metabolize it was mentioned. Scientists will then begin testing cocoa beans in patients with high blood pressure.