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Chocolate has no health benefits, says The Lancet editorial4 January, 2008 A recent study had found that eating dark chocolate, which is rich in flavanols – chemicals found in cocoa that have a strong antioxidant capacity – might be good for the heart. However, an editorial in the latest issue of the British medical journal The Lancet says that gaining this potential health benefit does not really exist as chocolate manufacturers usually remove the flavanols because of their bitter taste. In November 2007, a research published in the journal Circulation had stated that flavanol-rich chocolate caused blood vessels to expand and improved heart function in 11 heart-transplant patients. Another study demonstrated that eating small amounts of dark chocolate could lower excessively high blood pressure. White chocolate or milk chocolate seemed to have no health benefits, according to the editorial in The Lancet. In fact, the editorial stressed, that the very thing that makes chocolate good for health – the antioxidants called flavanols – also makes chocolate taste bitter. So makers of confectionery often remove the flavanols, thus taking out of the chocolate its chief health-promoting qualities. What is worse, says The Lancet editorial, is that labels usually do not say whether a particular brand of chocolate contains flavanols or not. This ‘negative’ news on chocolate comes just a month after Circulation, the medical journal for the American Heart Association, reported a study of 22 heart transplant patients who were given a dose of dark chocolate or fake chocolate. Just two hours after eating the real chocolate, patients had measurable improvements in blood flow and vascular function and less clotting, compared to placebo chocolate eaters, who experienced no changes. The flavonoids in chocolate, which include the antioxidants called flavanols, are similar to those found in tea, red wine and some fruits and vegetables. Tea, red wine and fruits and vegetables are also known for their healthy effects on the heart.
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