Can Chocolate Reduce Risk of Death?

Category: Diet and Nutrition

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2006, vol 166 no 4), examined the effects of regular cocoa intake on blood pressure and mortality.

Dutch researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands analyzed the data of 470 elderly men who were free of chronic illness, participating in the Zutphen Elderly Study, for 15 years. Blood pressure measurements were obtained from the participants at the beginning of the study and 5 years later. The causes of death were determined during 15 years of follow-up. Food intake was analyzed by cross-checking dietary history method and cocoa intake was determined from cocoa-containing foods.

The researchers found that the median intake of cocoa among users was 2.11 grams a day. One third of the men did not use cocoa at the beginning of the study. Findings revealed that participants with the highest cocoa intake had a mean systolic blood pressure 3.7 mm Hg and mean diastolic blood pressure 2.1 mm Hg lower than participants with the lowest cocoa intake. Furthermore, the participants with the highest cocoa intake had a 50 percent reduction in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

"In a cohort of elderly men, cocoa intake is inversely associated with blood pressure and 15-year cardiovascular and all-cause mortality," the study authors conclude.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on October 3, 2013 11:00 AM