Chocolate consumption and risk of stroke:
Consumption of chocolate has been found to significantly reduce the risk of both ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in a large cohort study on women who ate a median of 66.5 grams per week of chocolate (13). In a large cohort study on men, a median intake of 62.9 grams of chocolate per week was associated with a decrease in risk of stroke by about 17% (14).
Flavanol-rich cocoa and endothelial function:
In a study, 15 healthy adults under the age of 50 and 19 healthy adults over the age of 50 drank a specially made flavonol-rich cocoa every day for four to six days. Flavonols naturally occur in plants and possess antioxidant characteristics. Blood pressure and peripheral arterial responses were recorded. The results showed that blood vessel response to nitric oxide and endothelial function improved among both younger and older adults after the cocoa phase. These improvements were more significant in the older group. (10)