The researchers include Prof. Diederik Esser of Top Institute Food and Nutrition and the Division of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University said , dark chocolate can restore the flexibility of the arteries and prevents white blood cells stick to the vessel wall .
In a study published in The FASEB Journal , researchers analyzed 44 obese men aged 45 and 70 years .
For more than two periods in four weeks , the men were asked to consume 70 grams of dark chocolate and 70 grams of dark chocolate with high flavanol content on a regular basis every day .
Flavanols are natural antioxidants found in some plants , including cocoa .
These men were also asked not to consume other foods high in calories during the study , in order to prevent weight gain .
During the study , the researchers also studied 44 healthy blood vessels these men .
The results showed in both groups a decrease in augmentation index ( AIX ) and flow-mediated dilation ( FMD ) respectively of one percent .
Then , the number of leukocytes , plasma sICAM1 and sICAM3 , leukocyte adhesion marker expression was reduced.
This means that consumption of dark chocolate may lower the risk of the participants affected by atherosclerosis .
The results also show the two types of chocolate produce the same benefits for heart health , said Prof . Esser as reported by Medical News Today .
He added that the flavanol content can affect the taste and it can motivate people to eat chocolate .
Meanwhile , the editor of The FASEB Journal , Dr. Gerald Weissman , said the findings could lead to new therapeutic treatments that provide the same benefits as dark chocolate consumption .
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