Dark Chocolate, But Not Tea, Takes a Bite Out of Blood Pressure

Whichever are responsible, studies of cell cultures in his laboratory have also suggested that polyphenols can stop the oxidation of beta-amyloid protein, the process that leads to formation of plaque in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, said Chang Y. Lee, chairman of the department of food science and technology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

In addition, "reports from many laboratories clearly show that the ingestion of flavonoid-rich foods enhance circulation," Lee said.

Much remains to be learned, Lee added. "Many people have been talking about different kinds of flavonoids," he said. But we do not know exactly how much of these compounds are absorbed in the body and also when they are absorbed, how much is distributed to different sites."

Lee said he can "happily recommend" the occasional cup of cocoa. "But I am cautious about people taking chocolate milk, because it is high in sugar and high in fat," he said. "Dark chocolate may be all right, but I do not recommend cocoa preparations that contain high sugar."

Drug treatment is the basis of blood pressure control, Taubert said, and it should always be accompanied by lifestyle measures such as exercise and proper diet. "Rationally applied, cocoa products may be part of such an antihypertensive diet," he said.

More information

There's much more on flavonoids and cocoa is available at the Linus Pauling Institute.

SOURCES: Dirk Taubert, M.D., Ph.D., senior lecturer, pharmacology and toxicology, University Hospital of Cologne, Germany; Chang Y. Lee, Ph.D., chairman, department of food science and technology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; April 9, 2007,Annals of Internal Medicine