Some may see a cup of tea as soothing but chocolate is more
likely to lower one's blood pressure, German researchers reported
on Monday.
Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure but drinking
green and black tea may not, according to an analysis of previously
published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published
by the American Medical Association.
The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed cocoa
products for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved
by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood
pressure.
The fall in blood pressure credited to cocoa could be expected to
reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by 10-20 percent, the
report said.
Both cocoa and tea contain polyphenols, a class of chemicals known
to help prevent cardiovascular disease that are present in most
fruits and vegetables. But cocoa has a different type than tea --
procyanids -- that appear to be more active.
Currently, patients with high blood pressure are urged to eat more
fruits and vegetables, although cocoa and tea products account for
the bulk of total polyphenol consumption in Western countries, the
study said.
But don't start gobbling up chocolate bars just yet, wrote study
author Dirk Taubert of the University Hospital of Cologne,
Germany.
Treats such as dark chocolate might be substituted for other
high-calorie desserts, based on the study's findings, but "we
believe that any dietary advice must account for the high sugar,
fat and calorie intake with most cocoa products.
"Rationally applied, cocoa products might be considered part of
dietary approaches to lower hypertension risk," he wrote
