Favorite flavorful flavonoids

Love chocolate? New evidence published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition indicates that 46 grams of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate per day over a 2-week period significantly dilates the brachial artery--the principal artery in the arm--and improves blood flow.

Higher blood levels of a particular cocoa flavonoid called epicatechin probably trigger the release of active substances that vasodilate--or increase--blood flow in the artery. Expansion of the brachial pathway indicates dilation is occurring in the coronary arteries that supply the heart.

Previous studies had shown that chocolate improves blood vessel endothelium--the inner lining--after either a single dose or several doses of chocolate over a few days.

This study suggests that small doses can provide cardiovascular benefit equal to vasodilator drugs--if you choose dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content.

But not all chocolate is healthful. Standard manufacturing destroys up to half of chocolate's natural flavonoids, leading some companies to use a different process that preserves up to 95 percent of the chocolate flavonoids. Chocolate is also very high in calories--230 calories per 46 grams--and it contains about 30 percent fat. And that old adage about chocolate being harmful to your pet pooch is true--it contains theobromine, which can be poisonous to dogs.

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