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Chocolate clot buster
More proof that chocolate is good for you - US researchers have found that a few squares of cocoa-rich dark chocolate have a blood-thinning and clot-busting effect similar to aspirin
Just a few chunks a day can almost halve the risk of heart attack death in some men and women by decreasing the tendency of platelets to clot in narrow blood vessels, according to scientists from Johns Hopkins University.
They stumbled on the finding when 139 chocoholics were disqualified from another study on blood stickiness after they confessed to cheating with their favourite treat, despite having been instructed to avoid foods and drinks that could affect blood platelet activity.
However, the 139 chocoholics, dubbed the 'chocolate offenders' by the study authors, continued to have their blood stickiness monitored. In a test designed to time how long it took for their blood to clot, theirs clotted more slowly than that of the chocolate-avoiders.
"What these chocolate 'offenders' taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack" says one of the study's authors, Professor Diane Becker, who presented the findings at the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
Becker warns that her work is not intended as a prescription for chomping lots of milk chocolate, which usually contains unhealthy quantities of sugar, butter and cream. But as little as two tablespoons a day of dark chocolate - the purest form which is made from the dried extract of roasted cocoa beans - may be just what the doctor ordered.
Researchers have known for nearly two decades that dark chocolate, rich in chemicals called flavonoids, lowers blood pressure and has other beneficial effects on blood flow, but previous studies indicated that impractical quantities of chocolate were required to get the benefit. By contrast, the latest Hopkins findings identified the effect of eating normal, everyday amounts.
"Eating a little bit of chocolate or having a drink of hot cocoa as part of a regular diet is probably good for personal health, so long as people don't eat too much of it, and too much of the kind with lots of butter and sugar," says Becker.
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
