Nutritionists have long shown that eating dark chocolate in moderation is good for health.
The FASEB journal published the results of a study of a group of scientists from the Netherlands, found that dark chocolate reduces the risk of atherosclerosis by restoring flexibility of the arteries and preventing the adhesion of leukocytes to the walls of blood vessels.
The research group of the Institute of food and Department of human nutrition at Wageningen University (Netherlands) in the course of a scientific experiment examined the data of 44 men who are overweight and aged 45 to 70 years. Two groups of subjects during 4 weeks consumed every day, 70 grams of dark chocolate or special dark chocolate with a high content of flavonol – natural oxidant part of cocoa. In both groups there was a noticeable decrease medical risk indicators of atherosclerosis: flow mediated dilation, augmentation index, leukocyte count and decrease in adhesion of leukocytes.
In addition, scientists have proved that consumption of products containing flavonol, such as chocolate, wine and certain types of berries reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
