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Almonds and Dark Chocolate Lower Bad Cholesterol

American Heart Association brings sweet news just in time for Valentine’s Day

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Researchers found that combining raw almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa can significantly reduce bad cholesterol.
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Almonds and dark chocolate may reduce a risk factor of coronary heart disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that combining raw almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa significantly reduced the number of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, particles in the blood of overweight and obese people.

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LDL is often called bad cholesterol because of the role it plays in clogging arteries.

But portion size was key. The study looked at nearly one-third a cup of almonds a day — either alone or combined with almost one-quarter cup of dark chocolate and 2 1/3 tablespoons cocoa a day.

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