Friday, November 12, 2010

I'm eating chocolate for breakfast

and feeling very smug about it. We all knew chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is good for you, right? Now we have some documentation (go here http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110141247.htm ) Turns out a new study, which I unfortunately can't access as I don't subscribe to that journal, says that dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure. Yup.

There is a small peptide hormone called angiotensin that causes arteries to constrict. That raises your blood pressure, and it's the normal way blood pressure is regulated. Too much angiotensin, too high pressure. Blood pressure medications mostly work by inhibiting an enzyme that converts the precursor to angiotensin to an active form. So does chocolate, and it can lower blood pressure. Probably great for your cardiac health in general.

So don't be shy, pass the chocolate.

1 comment:

pam said...

Just had a couple of squares of dark chocolate, and I feel healthier already!