Chocolate 'protects the heart'

Chocolate contains beneficial compounds

Good news for those about to gorge themselves on chocolate this Christmas - scientists have found it contains a chemical that protects against heart disease.

The substance in question is procyanidin, a chemical belonging to a group called the polyphenolic compounds.

These compounds are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables and are known to protect against coronary heart disease.

Researchers, led by Dr Derek Schramm, from the University of California, Davis, fed chocolate to a group of volunteers to test the theory that procyanidins can help to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.

Ten healthy volunteers ate samples of chocolate containing high and low amounts of procyanidin at separate times.

The researchers found that after two hours, plasma concentrations of a procyanidin metabolite were increased by 20 times in those volunteers who had eaten the chocolate with high procyanidin levels.

Clotting

These people also registered a significant reduction in serum leukotriene.

This chemical encourages particles in the blood called platelets to stick together - increasing the risk of clots.

The researchers were able to produce the same result when they exposed cells taken from the body's major blood vessel, the aorta, to procyanidin.

The authors suggest that frequent consumption of procyanidins may help to ward off heart problems.

Procyanidin is found in few common foods, and its content in commercial brands of chocolate varies widely.

Future research will determine if procyanidins in other foods are as effective as those present in chocolate.

The research is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.