Researchers analyzed 21 separate scientific studies on cocoa, a key component in dark chocolate, and concluded that cocoa consumption is associated with cardiovascular as well as other health benefits.
Dr. Eric Ding of the Harvard Medical School tells Newsmax Health that his extensive research reveals that cocoa lowers blood pressure, improves the health and elasticity of blood vessels, and improves cholesterol levels. Because it improves blood flow, the benefits seem also to extend to the brain and have important implications on learning and memory.
Centuries of Proof
“The Kuna people of coastal Panama drink cocoa water each and every day, and they never seem to have high blood pressure associated with aging as we do in most of the Western world,” he says. “They also have a much lower incidence of cancer. So we gathered data from several studies and found such credible evidence from many diverse and independent scientific sources that we feel we reached the tipping point on cocoa’s extraordinary health benefits. This is no longer a myth based on anecdotal evidence.”
Historically, cocoa has been used medicinally for more than 2,000 years since the time of the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations. More than 100 therapeutic uses for chocolate and cocoa have been noted, including the treatment of fatigue, fever, angina and heart pain, kidney and bowel complaints, and shortness of breath.
Related articles
