The media always enjoys writing funny, punny or even sunny headlines about the latest chocolate-for-health studies. Yet a recent Italy study about the benefits of eating dark chocolate suggests taking the cocoa plant quite seriously because it appears to be capable of lowering inflammation in the body.
Inflammation has been increasingly associated with heart disease by constricting circulation in the blood vessels. The Italian researchers showed that dark chocolate can lower C-reactive protein in the blood. C-reactive protein or CRP is an accepted biomarker of heart disease and hypertension. Dark chocolate appears to contain several antioxidant substances called polyphenol and flavanols that disrupt the production of CRP.
That’s a delicious thought.
Continue reading...Labels: alternative health, alternative medicine, cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation |
