Can cocoa protect your blood pressure? Healthy chocolate myth finally busted...

We've all probably heard the tempting health advice, "Eat dark chocolate, it's good for your heart and blood pressure", and many of us like to use this argument to justify another square of chocolate after dinner.

But the latest and largest study to date focusing on cocoa shows that the reality is a little more complicated. When it comes to the health of our blood vessels, chocolate is unfortunately not the answer, but cocoa in its pure form alone holds great potential.

Important catch: cocoa doesn't cure, but it protects

Nearly 9,000 older adults were involved in the unique research. Half of them took a daily capsule with 500 mg of cocoa flavanols (not chocolate as a food) for an average of 3.5 years. The other half were given a placebo.

The result for the group as a whole? Cocoa supplementation did not reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) across the board.

But when the researchers looked at a specific subgroup of people who entered the study with ideal systolic blood pressure (below 120 mmHg), the picture changed dramatically. In these adults, daily flavanols use was associated with a 24% lower risk of developing high blood pressure in the following years. This protective effect was evident after two years of use and was confirmed by rigorous statistical tests.

The "clean pipe" effect

There is a specific mechanism behind this benefit. Cocoa beans contain a substance called epicatechin (a type of flavanol). This compound encourages the inner lining of blood vessels to produce nitric oxide, which keeps blood vessels relaxed and pressure stable.

Researchers use an apt analogy for this: epicatechin acts like the top maintenance of the water pipes in a house. It prevents deposits and keeps the pipes in perfect condition. But if a "blockage" has already formed in the pipes and the pressure rises, maintenance alone can no longer save the situation and more drastic action is needed. That's why cocoa helps those who have a good blood pressure and want to maintain it, but it doesn't work as a cure for those who already suffer from hypertension.

Why is chocolate not enough?

Here comes the biggest disappointment for sweet lovers. The dose of 500 mg of flavanols is much higher than what you would get in you from even the finest dark chocolate. In order to get a therapeutic dose into you, you would have to eat so many bars that the negatives from the huge calorie and fat intake would completely outweigh any health benefits.

What's the takeaway?

• It's not an excuse for bingeing: chocolate remains a treat, not a cure.
• Targeted Prevention: If your blood pressure is currently in a healthy range and you're thinking in terms of decades, daily supplementation with concentrated cocoa flavanols is a science-based strategy to keep it within these ideal values for as long as possible.