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Cocoa tales

Dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, may improve the ability of smokers' blood vessels to expand and contract in response to the body's needs, Swiss researchers have found. The scientists divided 25 smokers into two groups. The investigators calculated platelet activity and the flexibility of blood vessels, two measures of healthy function, in an artery in the upper arm of each subject. In those who ate dark chocolate, both measures were considerably improved, and the effect lasted about eight hours.

The scientists believe the effect is caused by a large class of substances in chocolate called polyphenols, a group that includes flavonols which are potent antioxidants. Dark chocolate, the authors write, has a higher polyphenol concentration than other antioxidant-rich foods like wine, tea or berries.

Observes Dr. Roberto Corti, a cardiologist at University Hospital in Zurich and the lead author of the study, "We believe that the beneficial effect can probably be seen in all patients who have a high oxidative stress. This highlights the potential of substances such as flavonols in cardiovascular health."

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