Eating this sweet treat could 'reduce risk' of heart disease

dailyrecord.co.uk:

When it comes to heart disease, a sweet treat in the form of dark chocolate could offer health benefits. Dark chocolate could do the heart good - in small quantities, that is.

According to some studies, regularly eating dark chocolate could reduce the risk of developing heart disease, The Express reported.

This richer form of chocolate has much more cacao, the plant with which chocolate is produced, and thereby less sugar, butter and milk.

There are some compounds in dark chocolate that can help lower you blood pressure and cholesterol levels. One compound, flavanols, stimulates the production of nitrous oxide that causes blood vessels to dilate, which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure.A 2017 study found that the effects are most significant in older people or those with a higher-than-average risk of cardiovascular disease.With regards to cholesterol, dark chocolate has polyphenols and theobromine that some believe can lower your levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and increase levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.In 2017, a study found that eating dark chocolate every day for 15 days raised cholesterol levels in people living with HIV.However, this same research found that that the participant's levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol did not fall.This isn't the only positive impact dark chocolate can have, it can also have anti-inflammatory benefits.Dark chocolate was found in a small study in 2018 to affect the genes that regulate the immune system's response.Another study from the same year found that the flavanols in dark chocolate may enhance the brain's ability to reorganise itself.The impact was noticeable found in the brain's response to injury and disease.Two years previously, in 2016, a study found a positive