Chocolate Reduces Blood Pressure—Why I’m Not Impressed
According to a new study, just 30 calories a day of dark chocolate will lower your blood pressure by a couple of points without weight gain.
That’s about one Hershey’s Kiss a day.
I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s 2- or 3-point parade. But who in the world can eat only one Hershey’s Kiss or its equivalent every day?
Isn’t that like trying to eat one Lay’s Potato Chip?
It can’t be done. At least, not by the average human.
Let’s face it. If you’ve got the willpower to eat 30 calories of chocolate AND stop AND it doesn’t bother you, then you probably aren’t prone to high blood pressure or weight gain in the first place.
Me? That bag of Kisses is history. With an M&M chaser just to be sure I’m getting all my health benefits.
Actually, Milk Chocolate Doesn’t Work
Only dark chocolate.
But you already know that if you got question #7 right in my June 8th post, “Healthy Eating Tips: Test Your Food I.Q.”
Wait! I published this information on June 8th and months before that in my diet book, I Love To Cheat?
Am I psychic?
No. The news that dark chocolate reduces blood pressure is OLD news.
In my book, I talk about how we combined supposedly blood pressure-lowering foods to reduce my mother’s systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 36 points and her diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 20 points.
So forgive me if I’m not impressed by the 2- or 3-point drop in this study. They’re rehashing old news and their results aren’t that impressive.
Here’s What Is Impressive
Like many fruits and medicinal plants, chocolate is rich in flavonoids.
Prior studies have shown that dark chocolate also lowers cholesterol, improves blood flow and cardiovascular health, decreases blood clots, helps memory, and reduces depression.
There’s even research that links chocolate with love.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a “happy” neurotransmitter that is released during times of euphoria… including feelings of love.
The Downside
Fat, sugar, calories.
If you eat too much chocolate, you’ll gain weight. That’s a no-brainer.
But I still don’t believe it’s necessary to restrict yourself to a 30-calorie portion if you’re trying to lose weight.
In fact, I think that just tempts you to eat more and blow your diet.
Either eat a satisfying amount or don’t eat it at all. But to tease yourself with 30 calories of chocolate a day, that’s silly.
Especially for a minor drop in blood pressure.
I think these researchers tried to hype their results because they had nothing new or impressive to report.
And of course, they’ll need to do more studies.
But why doesn’t that surprise me?
Technorati Tags: chocolate, blood pressure, weight gain
July 6th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Why not consider having a teaspoon of baking cocoa mixed with anything. That way you can have all the benefits, avoid the bad effects and have none of the pleasure
July 6th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
No way I can stop at one kiss. Chocolate or otherwise.
July 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
I can’t get too excited by a 2 or 3 point drop in blood pressure. I’d still have to take medication.
July 6th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
I think people worry too much about every little calorie. Unless you eat chocolate constantly or a lot of it, you can have it every once in a while. I don’t think I could just eat a small bite once a day, though.
July 6th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
It sounds like another worthless study to me. They waste a lot of money on this junk. Why don’t they find the cure for cancer instead.
July 6th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Rob, this is said with the best of intentions. I have bad news for you. ‘We’ already know the ‘cure’ for most cancers. The problem is that people will not make the behavioral changes needed and our societies will not make the environmental changes that are needed. So what happens is ‘they’ keep looking for a pill that will cure cancer. This will never be found. So why don’t you find a cure, OK.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I like chocolate chip pancakes and things like that. It’s a way to get some chocolate but not too much. I know some people might think pancakes aren’t good on a diet, but you can probably find a way to put 30 calories of chocolate chips in another food.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Dr. J., it sounds like you’re talking about preventing cancer,not curing it. Does that mean if you get cancer, you can never hope to be cured? I hope that’s not true.
July 6th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
I use chocolate chips in muffins and waffles, too. I know it’s not great diet food, but if you only eat it occasionally, it’s a way to get some chocolate without risking a chocolate binge.
July 6th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I’m one of those people who can’t take even one bite of chocolate without eating the whole bag of kisses or m&ms. It wouldn’t be worth the risk for me.
July 6th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
These researchers are thinking just about the mechanics of getting your blood pressure down without thinking about how dieters respond to chocolate and other sweets. If I had the ability to eat just a little bit of anything sweet, I wouldn’t have so much trouble losing weight. For a lot of us, chocolate is a trigger food. One little piece just ain’t gonna do it.
July 7th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Yes Mary, prevention is really our best weapon. I don’t like to take away hope yet without preventative changes medicine can not make much progress against cancer.
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=129182
July 24th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I eat about 100 calories of DARK chocolate a day. Mmmm. I also tend to sit down (or at least stand still), close my eyes, and Saaavvooor it. Which I imagine also helps me BP.
Plus, it keeps me so indulged that I never feel compelled to go off my diet.