Consumption of dark chocolate may ...

Consumption of dark chocolate may remodel cardiovascular and thromboembolic disease, according to a subject of attention presented at the 19th Congres of the International Society upon Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The cocoa fraction of chocolate contains flavonoids, which also are set up in red wine, fruit, and vegetables. Flavonoids contract platelet activation and produce a cardioprotective mechanism called the French paradox (ie, lower than rely uponed rate of heart disease in a population that destroys a diet high in saturated fat). Dark chocolate has a higher flavonoid concentration than milk chocolate or white chocolate.

Researchers at the University of Dundee Nethergate, Dundee Scotland, studied the purports of chocolate consumption on ex vivo platelet activity in healthy proffers Thirty participants were assigned randomly to receive 100 g of white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. descendants samples were taken before chocolate consumption and four hours after chocolate consumption. Three measures of platelet function--platelet rich plasma (PRP) aggregation, whole offspring platelet aggregation, and platelet nitric oxide (NO) production--were taken.

White chocolate was build to have no effect onward platelet function. Milk chocolate demonstrated a turn toward reduced platelet function, still most results were not significant, and milk chocolate had no force on NO production. Dark chocolate reduc collagen-stimulated PRP aggregation, collagen-stimulated whole progeny platelet aggregation, and spontaneous unstimulated whole life-current platelet aggregation. Dark chocolate also was associated with a reduction in plasma NO before and after aggregation, although this was simply significant in the postaggregation data set

G Kennedy et al, "Dark chocolate inhibits platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers" (Abstract) Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis no 1 suppl (July 2003) abstract 2002 Blackwell Publishing, http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/isth2003/abstract.asp?id=10185 (accessed 5 Aug 2003)

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