Researchers already know the beneficial effects that dark chocolate has on cardiovascular health. Now they discover how it helps the liver.
A new study led by Dr Andrea De Gottardi, from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain, found that antioxidants in dark chocolate can reduce the blood pressure in liver patients.
Cirrhosis is a degenerative liver disease often linked to alcohol. There is no way to cure it, only treat complications from the disease. Cirrhosis is chronic and irreversible. It can cause circulation problems which increases pressure at the entrance of the liver, the so-called hypertension portal. This complication may lead to vessel ruptures. It now seems it is possible to mitigate these effects with a bit of dark chocolate.
21 patients with cirrhosis participated in the study. 11 were fed a liquid-based meal containing dark chocolate. The other 11 were given a liquid-based meal containing white chocolate which is totally devoid of antioxidants found in cocoa.
Although blood pressure was high in the 22 patients due to their disease, it was much lower among those who consumed dark chocolate. This is due to flavonoids that dilate vessels to allow blood to pass.
More research is needed as the number of patients in this study was small. This is, however, an interesting path for specialists to consider.