Have Your Dark Chocolate with Green Tea

Dark chocolate reduces risks of cardiovascular disease by means of lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as increasing flow mediated dilatation after acute and chronic intake. Acute black tea consumption increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Green tea reduced LDL cholesterol. Soy protein isolate but not other soy products also reduces LDL cholesterol, but this is hard to mix with the green tea and dark chocolate. So for reduction of the risk for cardiovascular disease green tea with dark chocolate seems the best option.

These are the results of a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials. The authors included

One hundred thirty-three trials were included. No randomized controlled trial studied effects on CVD morbidity or mortality. Significant heterogeneity confirmed differential effects between flavonoid subclasses and foods.

They wanted to examine the relative importance of the different flavonoid subclasses and flavonoid-rich foods. But data were limited, study samples were mostly small, duration was mostly short, mostly with chocolate and soy no dose-response effects, and lack of clinically relevant endpoints.

Flow mediated dilatation

Because endothelial dysfunction is an integral component of atherosclerosis, and because in vitro evidence suggests that at least some flavonoids exert their effects via the endothelium, endothelial function [measured as flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)], which is a predictor of cardiovascular events and which correlates with other CVD risk factors.

LDL cholesterol

high levels of LDL cholesterol can signal medical problems like cardiovascular disease, it is sometimes called “bad cholesterol” (as opposed to HDL, the “good cholesterol”).

Lee Hooper, Paul A Kroon, Eric B Rimm, Jeffrey S Cohn, Ian Harvey, Kathryn A Le Cornu, Jonathan J Ryder, Wendy L Hall, and Aedín Cassidy (2008). Flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods, and cardiovascular risk: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials The American Journalof Clinical Nutrition, 88 (12), 38-50 DOI: 18614722