Flavonoids in chocolate help to lower blood pressure. — Anita Calero/trunkarchive.com
6. The dark side
Chocolate lovers rejoice! Eating a one-ounce square of dark chocolate daily can help lower blood pressure, especially in people who already have hypertension, according to Harvard researchers who analyzed 24 chocolate studies. Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids, natural compounds that cause dilation of the blood vessels. Look for chocolates that say they contain 50 to 70 percent cacao, such as Ghirardelli 60 percent cacao dark chocolate squares.
Candy Sagon writes about health and nutrition for the AARP Bulletin.
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