According to Xinhua, many scientific studies have shown that eating dark chocolate is beneficial for the heart. Why does dark chocolate have this special function? Swedish researchers have found that components in dark chocolate, such as cocoa flavanols, can protect the heart.
The researchers explained that the body's angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a role in regulating blood pressure, and high levels of it can easily lead to arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. When the angiotensin-converting enzyme is inhibited, blood pressure subsequently decreases.
The researchers had volunteers eat 75 grams of dark chocolate (with 72% cocoa content). The results showed that 3 hours after eating the dark chocolate, the levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the volunteers' blood decreased by 18%. This reduction is equivalent to taking medication to control angiotensin-converting enzyme! It seems that people with poor heart function can list pure dark chocolate as a regular food to eat for health.