Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of cocoa on the heart, but were conducted in a strictly controlled manner.
In a study, 11 healthy people took eithersix capsules of cocoa flavanoids, or six placebo capsules every other day for a week. Each participant also wore a blood pressure monitor on their upper arm. In addition, the stiffness of the patient's arteries was measured.
The results show that cocoa consumptionled to a decrease in blood pressure and arterial stiffness only in those participants in whom these values were already high. And scientists also saw an additional peak in the beneficial effect of cocoa eight hours after consumption. This is most likely due to the way bacteria in the gut metabolize flavonoids.
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