Chocolate lowers blood pressure?
Maybe.
My first reaction to the study that came out in the press today was “Yea!”
My second reaction was “BS!”
Here’s the line that got me:
“Systolic blood pressure, the top number, fell an average of nearly three points and diastolic dropped almost two points in the dark chocolate group, compared with no change in blood pressure readings in the white chocolate group.”
Think about this. You have your BP checked and the doc says its 147/86 and tells you to start eating a cube of Ritter Sport every day. You come back 18 weeks later and he says your BP is now…144/85. The chocolate dropped your BP!
Uh, huh.
Then you walk out the door, walk back in and he rechecks your BP and its 148/87! OMG! The door is causing your BP to go up! Stop using doors!
This is a case of rotten research, lame reporting, and just general stupidity. The changes are well inside experimental error of any BP measurement device, and no ethical scientist would say there was a statistically significant change.
The study was funded by University Hospital in Cologne. I wonder if Ritter provided any funding to the hospital.
I think you would see a bigger improvement in BP if people got their fat butts off the sofa and walked for 10 minutes every day instead of looking for another EASY way to improve their health without making any change in their lifestyles. They couldn’t be bothered to try some easy walking, but they’ll run out to the store and buy all the chocolate they can now because they think they can EAT themselves healthy. Good luck with that.
July 4th, 2007 03:35
My only comment is that it is impossible to eat only one tiny square of Ritter sport chocolate, who are they kidding.
July 4th, 2007 08:35
Last time I was at home, my friend’s grandmother sat at the table telling everyone how she eats chocolate every day for her heart. She’s *at least* 100 pounds overweight. I didn’t say anything at the time, but I was thinking that she’s be better off crazy gluing her lips together…
July 4th, 2007 10:42
Well, chocolate may lower the blood pressure, but it seems like this study doesn’t demonstrate that.
Too many people are looking for the quick, easy fix.
July 4th, 2007 14:36
I wonder who paid for the study, I bet it was somehow connected to a chocolate manufacturer.
July 4th, 2007 17:31
What is the matter with you people??? We get carte blanche in a little chocolate every day and you go all snotty and scientific - geez! Get with the program!
I’m seen this studied mentioned many times. It goes side by side with the ‘red wine lowers cholesterol’ study. I personally, hang on every word.
July 5th, 2007 15:57
I also read somewhere that delicious micro-brews are good for you. Flavanoids or something.. = )
July 6th, 2007 06:18
I don’t care I am still eating chocolate everyday :)
July 6th, 2007 06:18
Are you going to New Haven this year?