Cocoa

Calm Your Blood Pressure

Cocoa ~ Natures Health Foods

Calm Your Blood Pressure

It seems that chemicals in chocolate, but not tea, are as effective as hypertension drugs.

Once again, something in nature that's as effective as what thepharmaceutical giants would have us spend obscene amounts of our hard earned money on.

We see it soooo often.

Now some of you may see a cup of tea as soothing, but it turns out chocolate is more likely to lower your blood pressure.

This is according to recent German research.

Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure, but drinking green and black tea may not, according to an analysis of previously published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the American Medical Association.

The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed products containing this ingredient for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood pressure.

The fall in blood pressure credited to cocoa could be expected to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by 10 percent to 20 percent, the report said.

Both chocolate products and tea contain polyphenols, a class of chemicals known to help prevent cardiovascular disease and are present in most fruits and vegetables.

But cocoa has a different type than tea, procyanids, that appear to be more active.

Currently, patients with high blood pressure are urged to eat more fruits and vegetables, although both products account for the bulk of total polyphenol consumption in Western countries.

But as we said before, don’t run down to the corner store and start gobbling up chocolate bars just yet.

Some people might believe treats such as dark chocolate just might be substituted for other high-calorie desserts, based on the study’s findings, but “we believe that any dietary advice must account for the high sugar, fat and calorie intake with most chocolate products".

So, rationally applied, chocolate products may be considered part of dietary approaches to lower hypertension risk.

Try this winning recipe.


These are simply amazing!

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 c. pitted prunes

1/4 c. pitted dates

3 Tbs. almond butter

1 Tbs. maple syrup

3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 c. finely grated unsweetened coconut

Preparation;

In a food processor, drop the prunes and dates through the feed hole one by one.

Scrape the processor bowl and run until the prunes and dates are smooth.

Add remaining ingredients except for the coconut.

Run until smooth and scrape the bowl as needed.

Roll the mixture into 12 one-inch balls and roll in coconut to coat.

Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Makes 12 pieces, so you might want to double this recipe.

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