Dark Chocolate Works Like Aspirin To Prevent Heart Attacks

A few bits of dark chocolate a day can have the same benefit as aspirin in reducing blood clots and preventing heart attacks, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine concluded in a study of chocolate lovers.

“What these chocolate ‘offenders’ taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack,” lead researcher Diane Becker from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told the annual conference of the American Heart Association, in Chicago.

She said that two tablespoons a day of dark chocolate, meaning the purest form of the candy made from dried extract of roasted cocoa beans, may be just what the doctor ordered.

For almost 20 years, scientists have known that dark chocolate, rich in chemicals called flavonoids, lowers blood pressure and has other beneficial effects on blood flow.

Becker’s findings show that normal, everyday doses of chocolate found in ordinary foods is enough to provide clot-controlling benefit, rather than the kilos (several pounds) of chocolate earlier studies said were needed for flavonoids to have a significant effect.

However she is not recommending the regular chocolate candy laced with lots of sugar, butter and cream. The study was conducted on 139 chocolate lovers. Link