Scientific research suggests that the flavanols in cocoa tend to increase the brain’s oxygen levels and activate neurons at a higher rate – equaling better brain performance and improved cognitive function. In contrast to previous meta-analyses [ 9, 14], subgroup analyses in our larger meta-analysis suggested that there is a difference in outcome dependent on baseline blood pressure (hypertensive versus normotensive). While meta-analyses of the hypertensive subgroups found significant reductions (SBP: -5.0 ± 3.0 mmHg, P = 0.0009; DBP: -2.7 ± 2.2 mmHg, P = 0.01), analyses of normotensive subgroups did not demonstrate a significant reduction in blood pressure of flavanol-rich cocoa products (SBP: -1.6 ± 2.3 mmHg, P = 0.17; DBP: -1.3 ± 1.6 mmHg, P = 0.12). These findings are in line with meta-analyses of other nutritional supplements on blood pressure, which similarly found that blood pressure was significantly reduced in hypertensive subgroups but not in the normotensive subgroups [ 30, 45]. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés may have been the first European to encounter chocolate when he observed it in the court of Montezuma in 1519. [19] [20] In 1568, Bernal Díaz, who accompanied Cortés in the conquest of the Aztec Empire, wrote of this encounter which he witnessed: Szogyi, Alex (1 January 1997). Chocolate: Food of the Gods. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.149–151. ISBN 978-0-313-30506-1.

Polyphenol content varied widely between the trials (range 30-1008 mg/day, Table ​ Table1). 1). Although authors labelled the active ingredient in chocolate with a variety of terms (polyphenol, flavanol, proanthocyanidin, epicatechin and catechin), we are reasonably confident that the reported dosages of total polyphenol or measured derivates are comparable. There is some confusion in the literature about the correct labelling of the vasoactive chemical components in cocoa, and terms are often used interchangeably and sometimes incorrectly. Furthermore, the most commonly used methods for polyphenol content analysis (high performance liquid chromatography [ 39] and Folin-Ciocalteu method [ 40]) each measure both monomer (epicatechin and catechin) and oligomer (proanthocyanidin) polyphenol components. These polyphenol components belong to the flavanols or flavanoids, which make up 99% of all polyphenols in cocoa [ 41, 42]. However, we were not able to compare findings by method of polyphenol content analysis, as details were not available for all trials. World Chocolate Day 2020: Why is World Chocolate Day celebrated?". The Times of India. 2020-07-07 . Retrieved 2020-07-08. I made this list of key calendar dates for all chocoholics using data from a variety of sources. Whip out your diary and jot these down posthaste! Date Cultivation, consumption, and cultural use of cacao were extensive in Mesoamerica where the cacao tree is native. [4] When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind of sheath, or ear, averaging 20" long, hanging from the tree trunk itself. Within the sheath are 30 to 40 brownish-red almond-shaped beans embedded in a sweet viscous pulp. While the beans themselves are bitter due to the alkaloids within them, the sweet pulp may have been the first element consumed by humans. The relatively modest but significant blood pressure-lowering effect of cocoa in the hypertensive subgroup is clinically relevant: a decline of 5 mmHg in systolic blood pressure may reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by about 20% over 5 years [ 46]. Furthermore, the effect of cocoa in a hypertensive population is comparable to other lifestyle modifications, such as moderate physical activity (30 min/d) may reduce SBP by 4-9 mmHg [ 5].

Asked and Answered

Around Keynsham & Saltford Past and Present (PDF). Keynsham & Saltford Local History Society. 2010. Includes much information on J. S. Fry & Sons SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; mmHg, millimetre mercury; CI, confidence interval; P, probability value ( P < 0.05 statistically significant); I 2, heterogeneity test. Allen RR, Carson L, Kwik-Uribe C, Evans EM, Erdman JW Jr. Daily consumption of a dark chocolate containing flavanols and added sterol esters affects cardiovascular risk factors in a normotensive population with elevated cholesterol. J Nutr. 2008; 138:725–731. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Erdman JW Jr, Carson L, Kwik-Uribe C, Evans EM, Allen RR. Effects of cocoa flavanols on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008; 17(Suppl 1):284–287. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Poulter NR. The effect of cocoa flavanoids on blood pressure. Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; 2006. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00125866","term_id":"NCT00125866"}}NCT00125866 [ Google Scholar]

Grassi D, Desideri G, Necozione S, Lippi C, Casale R, Properzi G, Blumberg JB, Ferri C. Blood pressure is reduced and insulin sensitivity increased in glucose-intolerant, hypertensive subjects after 15 days of consuming high-polyphenol dark chocolate. J Nutr. 2008; 138:1671–1676. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Why not get the cookbook out of the cupboard, scour the internet for some ideas and get yourself in the chocolate day spirit, baking and creating some wonderful chocolatey creations? Fisher ND, Hughes M, Gerhard-Herman M, Hollenberg NK. Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans. J Hypertens. 2003; 21:2281–2286. doi: 10.1097/00004872-200312000-00016. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]

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Mid-Afternoon: Maybe try to be a little healthier with chocolate-covered strawberries or raisins? Ok, maybe not that healthy but at least t contains fruit! The Chocolaterie Lombart, created in 1760, claimed to be the first chocolate company in France, ten years before Pelletier et Pelletier. [35] a b Terry G. Powis; W. Jeffrey Hurst; María del Carmen Rodríguez; Ponciano Ortíz C.; Michael Blake; David Cheetham; Michael D. Coe; John G. Hodgson (December 2007). "Oldest chocolate in the New World". Antiquity. 81 (314). ISSN 0003-598X . Retrieved 2011-02-15. Cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, is a powerful antioxidant that can help improve heart health and reduce the risk of certain diseases. There are many different types of chocolate available, each with its own unique flavor and characteristics. Milk chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate, and it is made by adding milk powder or condensed milk to chocolate liquor. Dark chocolate is made with a higher percentage of cocoa solids and has a more intense flavor. Semi-sweet chocolate is a type of dark chocolate that is commonly used in baking.

Engler MB, Engler MM, Chen CY, Malloy MJ, Browne A, Chiu EY, Kwak H-K, Milbury P, Paul SM, Blumberg J, Mietus-Snyder ML. Flavonoid-Rich Dark Chocolate Improves Endothelial Function and Increases Plasma Epicatechin Concentrations in Healthy Adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004; 23:197–204. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, Peto R, Collins R. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet. 2002; 360:1903–1913. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11911-8. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Desch S. Effect of different dosages of dark chocolate on arterial blood pressure in cardiovascular high-risk patients. University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; 2009. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00661986","term_id":"NCT00661986"}}NCT00661986 [ Google Scholar] Although some would love to celebrate this day every day, the chocolate day gives you the perfect opportunity to eat your favorites in ample portions. Do you really need any more of an excuse to over indulge? It’s definite harmless once in a while.

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Meta-analysis was conducted using the Cochrane Program Review Manager version 5 [ 29]. Owing to high heterogeneity between trials, we used a random effects model and considered subgroup meta-analysis by baseline mean blood pressure, similar to our recent meta-analysis of the effect of garlic on blood pressure [ 30]. For systolic blood pressure, trials were divided into a hypertensive subgroup (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg) and a normotensive subgroup (SBP < 140 mmHg) at the start of treatment. For diastolic blood pressure, a division into a higher BP subgroup (DBP ≥ 80 mmHg) and lower BP subgroup (DBP < 80 mmHg) at the start of treatment allowed an even distribution of trials between subgroups and reduction in heterogeneity. Shiina Y, Funabashi N, Lee K, Murayama T, Nakamura K, Wakatsuki Y, Daimon M, Komuro I. Acute effect of oral flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake on coronary circulation, as compared with non-flavonoid white chocolate, by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in healthy adults. Int J Cardiol. 2009; 131:424–429. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2007.07.131. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Wind-powered and horse-drawn mills were used to speed production, augmenting human labor. Heating the working areas of the table-mill, an innovation that emerged in France in 1732, also assisted in extraction. [34] Wilson, K.; Hurst, W. Jeffrey (2015). Chocolate and Health: Chemistry, Nutrition and Therapy. Royal Society of Chemistry. p.219. doi: 10.1039/9781782622802-00218. ISBN 978-1-78262-505-6. In a rather freeform way, gently spoon the mousse into your ramekins or glasses. To get the right texture — soft and satiny, rather than set like a more traditional mousse — you can either refrigerate for 20 minutes then eat straight away, or for exactly one hour and then take out to come to room temperature for 40 minutes before eating.

Corti R, Flammer AJ, Hollenberg NK, Lusche TF. Cocoa and cardiovascular health. Circulation. 2009; 119:1433–1441. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.827022. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]Balzer J, Rassaf T, Heiss C, Kleinbongard P, Lauer T, Merx M, Heussen N, Gross HB, Keen CL, Schroeter H, Kelm M. Sustained benefits in vascular function through flavanol-containing cocoa in medicated diabetic patients a double-masked, randomized, controlled trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008; 51:2141–2149. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.01.059. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Boozy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate. Add some pumpkin pie spice to a hot chocolate recipe and then toss in a bit of winter warmth using Kahlua, bourbon, peppermint schnapps or a bit of cinnamon whiskey.