According to recent findings, dark chocolate improves the functioning of blood vessels. The study includes 45 people who were given 8 ounces (227 grams) of cocoa without sugar, cocoa with sugar or a placebo each day. The flow mediated dilation (FMD), was measured daily after the consumption of cocoa or placebo.

“In this sample of healthy adults, dark chocolate ingestion over a short period of time was shown to significantly improve (blood vessel) function,” said Dr. Valentine Yanchou Njike of Yale Prevention Research Center, a co-investigator of the study.

Of those who completed the trial, the FMD showed significant improvement. Those who had it without sugar showed an improvement of  2.4 percent; and those who had it without sugar showed an improvement of 1.5 percent; and in the placebo group it dropped to 0.8 percent. These studies hint at the fact that chocolate and other flavonoid-rich foods can offer cardiovascular benefits.

Dark chocolate lowers the blood pressure and the LDL cholesterol level. It also decreases the insulin resistance. These benefits from cocoa are due to the presence of flavanoids which are also contained in tea, red wine and certain vegetables.