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Does chocolate increase blood pressure?
Most people, regardless of age, are not indifferent to chocolate and products made from it. But not many people know that their favorite treat can not only bring pleasure, but also change the level of blood pressure. Chocolate has been used in food for a very long time, but its effect on the human body at the biochemical level has been studied in detail relatively recently.
Favorite treat and BP
Chocolate is a source of the most important trace elements for water balance - sodium and potassium.
In turn, blood pressure directly depends on this parameter.
Sodium attracts water to itself, so its excess presence in the blood forms its high specific gravity, as a result of which blood pressure rises. Potassium, on the contrary, removes fluid, migrating through the bloodstream. Therefore, it is so important to have a balanced amount of ions in the blood. People with normal blood pressure levels can consume chocolate without restriction. But if there are problems with this important diagnostic indicator, the use of chocolate should be strictly limited.
Bitter chocolate has some peculiarities when eaten. Even in healthy people, a small piece of such chocolate can increase blood pressure for about an hour, which is important when examining patients. This effect is also observed in a small portion of the coffee drink. Both of these products cause temporary vasospasm, which is reflected by an increase in pressure.
A small part of a bar of dark chocolate is able to lower the pressure at its off-scale values. However, these funds should not replace drug therapy prescribed by a doctor. A qualified specialist selects antihypertensive drugs depending on the individual characteristics of each patient. And not always a small piece of chocolate can help every patient with the same clinical picture. Chocolate can be tried as a blood pressure remedy in the absence of other available means to combat high blood pressure.
How to make the right choice
When choosing chocolate in order not to harm your health, you should be guided by the following principles:
- Preference should be given to dark chocolate, where there are fewer calories and more valuable cocoa ingredient. This chocolate product is also not capable of raising cholesterol, unlike its dairy counterpart. White chocolate does not contain cocoa at all, so it practically does not live up to this name.
- Pay attention to the composition of the product indicated on the label. Chocolate should not contain preservatives and other impurities that increase the shelf life of a popular delicacy.
- In addition to cocoa powder, the manufacture of chocolate involves the inclusion of butter, also obtained from cocoa beans. Real chocolate should not include its vegetable substitutes, which deprive the product of valuable properties.
- It is recommended to consume no more than 25 grams of chocolate daily. Exceeding this amount, first of all, entails an excess of calories, which increases the risk of overweight and obesity. Saturated fats in dark and milk chocolate are displayed on the product label, which allows you to monitor their presence in the diet.
Poor quality products
Before thinking about increasing or lowering bitter or any other chocolate pressure, you should make sure that you have a quality product in your hands.
Expired chocolate or chocolate produced using the wrong technology can cause quite serious disorders in the human body:
- skin itching and hyperemia,
- intoxication syndrome,
- stool disorder,
- abdominal pain.
Real bitter chocolate allows the presence of sugar in its composition, which does not exceed the mass content of cocoa powder, as well as lecithin emulsifier and various flavors. These substances do not detract from the valuable properties of chocolate treats. A product with additives in the form of caramel, yogurt or other inclusions does not increase or lower blood pressure, but contains a lot of unnecessary carbohydrates and calories. Bitter chocolate with inclusions of even nuts does not lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients in full force as a pure product. It does not increase blood pressure in persons with pathologically low blood pressure.
Only a careful choice of chocolate will allow you to direct its valuable properties in the right direction. The fact that a small piece increases the pressure for a while can play into the hands of an emergency.
