Chocolate

Well I have never heard of chocolate being "administered", so now I have heard everything!

In a study published recently it was determined that cocoa ingestion not only decreases blood pressure, but also improves insulin sensitivity in healthy people. It was shown that dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, has the potential to decrease fasting insulin and glucose concentrations. It seems that the flavanols in the dark chocolate are responsible. Flavanols are a class of flavanoids richly represented in cocoa beans. Whereas white chocolate contains only the cocoa butter.

One of the study's conclusions is that although the study was sound, "obviously, large trials are needed to confirm these protective actions of dark chocolate..."

For those of you wishing to volunteer for the trial - get in line behind me! Administer as much chocolate as you like Dr. G.!

Grassi D et al. "Short term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, No. 3, 611-614, March 2005