The Western Diet in the United States is responsible for some wonderful tasty creations that satisfies the palate to many but it is also contributing to an epidemic of high blood pressure. Have you ever heard that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure?

Pharmacology and doctors have been working together to find a chemical medical solution to this problem. Scientists have also begun researching and looking for alternatives as well and have found that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure. In clinical studies performed they used regular dark chocolate and placebos. These studies proved that there was no doubt in their minds that dark chocolate helped to reduce blood pressure as compared to those who took placebos.

They also noted that although dark chocolate is good for treating high blood pressure but commented that commercial dark chocolate is loaded with refined white sugar. Their conclusion in one study: “Because high sugar intake is associated with obesity,caries, and diabetes, cocoa-based products with no or low sugar content are certainly preferred. On the other hand, cocoa itself, unlike chocolate, can be recommended without hesitation because it is low in sugar and fat.”

So what is the best kind of chocolate? Raw cold pressed organic gourmet healthy chocolates are the best because of the high antioxidants and high flavanols. This type of dark chocolate is not processed so there is no refined sugar or junk in it and it is low in fat. Studies show that consuming dark chocolate regularly lowers blood pressure and is a heart healthy food that is considered a natural medicine.

MSNBC got the message right but the images are sending the wrong message to the public.

Sources: AlphaGalileo and BioMed Central
Image Source: Darren Hester