On this Easter weekend, Géraldine Zamansky, journalist for Health Magazine on France 5, shares some news to read with interest on current experiences with chocolate. In particular through a study conducted in Boston in the United States.
franceinfo: Would there be good news for chocolate lovers?
Geraldine Zamansky: Very good news, a little more precisely, for lovers of the purest possible cocoa. A study was done in Boston. Don’t be too envious, 410 participants didn’t get a few chocolate squares every day. No. Much less funny, they received 500 mg of cocoa extract in 2 capsules for 3 and a half years.
Not funny but effective, since their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 27% compared to those who received the placebo. The organizer of this study, Dr. Howard Sesso, admitted to me that he himself had been amazed to find such a difference in less than 4 years of follow-up.
How could cocoa have such an effect on mortality?
Dr. Sesso explained to me that they had more precisely put in their capsule the flavonols contained in the cocoa. Because in previous studies, this ingredient had created hope for protection of blood vessels, and therefore against the famous cardiovascular diseases – of the heart and vessels. With for example an anti-inflammatory action.
But beware, the first results of Dr. Sesso are nuanced. The volunteers under cocoa are more likely to be alive, and that is precious of course. But they still developed these types of diseases. This researcher hopes soon to understand how cocoa prevents the fatal forms, thanks to the finer analysis of the medical examinations carried out during the study. It will take longer.
You mean you can’t immediately jump on chocolate to increase your life expectancy?
I’m sorry about that, really, because I would be the first to really relish this green light. But in addition to needing additional details, Dr. Sesso explained to me that to reach such a dose of flavonols, you would have to eat a quantity of chocolate dangerous for your health! Too much sugar and fat!
In the meantime, if you like chocolate, you surely know that other researchers have already found that it can improve memory or reduce the risk of cancer. Provided you stay on moderate doses with high levels of cocoa, and if possible manufacturing processes that do not destroy the famous flavonols!
But all scientists agree on one point: the pleasure generated by tasting it is at the heart of the benefits of chocolate. So, if you are one of the amateurs, take advantage of it this weekend of course…