Chocolate and Cardiovascular Disease

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Chocolate and Cardiovascular Disease
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• Chocolate has been criticized for its saturated
  fat content and lauded for it antioxidants

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Saturated fat content

• Stearic Acid a long chain fatty acid commonly
  found in meats and dairy products, but found in
  cocoa butter.
• Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is the
  edible natural fat of the cacao bean. It has only
  mild chocolate flavor and aroma and is the only
  cacao component in white chocolate.
• Cocoa butter is used to make real chocolate. It
  has a melting point of around 93 to 100 degrees,
  solid at room temperature but melts once inside
  the mouth.

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Fat content of Cocoa Butter
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• Saturated fat affects LDL and total cholesterol
• Stearic and palmitic may not be
  non-cholesterolemic
• 60 controlled trials showed that stearic acid
  does not alter blood lipids
• Plant based saturated fats may be different from
  animal based ones
• Stearic acid appears to have a neutral or
  somewhat beneficial effect on blood pressure and
  clotting factors.

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• One regular Hersheys milk chocolate bar has 85
  mg of flavonoid antioxidants, procyanidins, and
  flavanols

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• These
• Have antioxidant effects
• Have anti-platelet effects
• Have anti inflammatory effects
• May increase HDL
• May lower blood pressure
• May improve endothelial function

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• In 11 studies that looked at flavinoids and
  coronary heart disease death, only one showed in
  an increase in risk.
• The average relative risk between consumption
  tertiles was .81.

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Conclusion

• Epidemiologic data and feeding trials suggest
  flavonoid intake from chocolate is likely
  protective against CVD and that dark chocolate
  appears to have even greater benefits.
• Dark chocolate appears better.