Perhaps, but experts say there are better ways to obtain beneficial polyphenols.
The antioxidants contained in dark chocolate might help people suffering from reduced blood flow to their legs, researchers from Italy report.
In
a small study, people with artery problems in their legs walked a
little longer and farther right after eating a bar of dark chocolate,
the researchers said.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants
called polyphenols. The researchers believe polyphenols improve blood
flow to the legs by affecting biochemicals that prompt arteries to
widen.
"Our body secretes chemicals that naturally dilate blood
vessels in response to certain stimuli, improving the blood flow to
certain areas," said Dr. Richard Chazal, vice president of the American
College of Cardiology. "Some of the chemicals inside dark chocolate
could affect the way these enzymes are metabolized in the body,"
suggested Chazal, who was not involved with the study.
The pilot
study involved 20 people aged 60 to 78 who suffered from peripheral
artery disease, a narrowing of the arteries that carry blood from the
heart to the legs, stomach, arms and head. Reduced blood flow can cause
pain, cramping or fatigue in the legs or hips while walking.
The
patients walked on a treadmill in the morning and again two hours after
eating 40 grams of dark or milk chocolate -- the size of an average
American chocolate bar -- on separate days. The dark chocolate in the
study had a cocoa content of more than 85 percent, making it rich in
polyphenols. The milk chocolate, with a cocoa content below 30 percent,
had far fewer polyphenols, the study authors noted.
After eating
dark chocolate, patients walked an average 11 percent farther and 15
percent longer than they did earlier in the day. That's about 39 feet
farther and about 17 seconds longer, according to the study, published
July 2 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Milk
chocolate did not improve time or distance, according to study
co-author Dr. Lorenzo Loffredo, assistant professor at the Sapienza
University of Rome, and colleagues.
The researchers found that
levels of nitric oxide, a gas linked to improved blood flow, were higher
after eating dark chocolate. They suggested that the higher nitric
oxide levels may be responsible for widening peripheral arteries and
improving the patients' ability to walk.
Both the results and the
theory are "intriguing," said Dr. Mark Creager, director of the Vascular
Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor at Harvard
Medical School in Boston.
"The results are certainly interesting
but modest, in terms of the walking distance improved," said Creager,
who also serves as a spokesman for the American Heart Association. "With
information such as this, one would anticipate these investigators will
conduct a much larger trial with long-term treatment to confirm their
observations."
Creager and Chazal noted that chocolate is also high in fat and
sugar, and eating too much can contribute to health problems such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.
"People
need to be very aware of the fact that there are many substances in
chocolate bars that could have an adverse effect on health," Creager
said. "I would not recommend that people eat chocolate bars to improve
their walking distance."
Chazal agreed, saying the study's true value lies in identifying the way that polyphenols might affect blood flow to the legs.
Polyphenols
also can be found in foods with less added sugar and saturated fats,
such as cloves, dried peppermint, celery seed, capers and hazelnuts.
"All
of us can get very excited about studies like this, but we have to be
very cautious in interpreting it in terms of treatment," Chazal said.
"At this point in time, I wouldn't consider dark chocolate to be
something people should be taking large amounts of as a therapeutic
agent. It's possible that moderate amounts might be helpful, but we need
confirmation."
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter
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