Its good for you, thens its NOT good for you! Heck, a little bit wont
do anyone harm!


On Apr 25, 5:17 pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Bad news for chocolate. Raises heart rate,
> otherwise nothing. :-(
>
> Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):872-80.
> A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized
> trial of the effects of dark chocolate and cocoa
> on variables associated with neuropsychological
> functioning and cardiovascular health: clinical
> findings from a sample of healthy, cognitively
> intact older adults.
> Crews WD Jr, Harrison DW, Wright JW.
> Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
> University, Blacksburg, VA 24506, USA.
>
> BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been
> increased interest in the potential health-
> related benefits of antioxidant- and
> phytochemical-rich dark chocolate and cocoa.
>
> OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to
> examine the short-term (6 wk) effects of dark
> chocolate and cocoa on variables associated
> with neuropsychological functioning and
> cardiovascular health in healthy older adults.
>
> DESIGN: A double-blind, placebo-controlled,
> fixed-dose, parallel-group clinical trial was
> used. Participants (n = 101) were randomly
> assigned to receive a 37-g dark chocolate bar
> and 8 ounces (237 mL) of an artificially
> sweetened cocoa beverage or similar placebo
> products each day for 6 wk.
>
> RESULTS: No significant group (dark chocolate
> and cocoa or placebo)-by-trial (baseline,
> midpoint, and end-of-treatment assessments)
> interactions were found for the
> neuropsychological, hematological, or blood
> pressure variables examined. In contrast, the
> midpoint and end-of-treatment mean pulse rate
> assessments in the dark chocolate and cocoa
> group were significantly higher than those
> at baseline and significantly higher than
> the midpoint and end-of-treatment rates in
> the control group. Results of a follow-up
> questionnaire item on the treatment products
> that participants believed they had consumed
> during the trial showed that more than half
> of the participants in both groups correctly
> identified the products that they had
> ingested during the experiment.
>
> CONCLUSIONS: This investigation failed to
> support the predicted beneficial effects
> of short-term dark chocolate and cocoa
> consumption on any of the neuropsychological
> or cardiovascular health-related variables
> included in this research. Consumption of
> dark chocolate and cocoa was, however,
> associated with significantly higher pulse
> rates at 3- and 6-wk treatment assessments.