Chocolate is a heart healthy indulgence

A 2007 study by Swiss and British scientists revealed people naturally crave chocolate, and it may be because our bodies recognize the heart healthy benefits.

A new study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry says chocolate helps increase the body’s production of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), which is good for reducing heart disease.

Cocoa powder is rich in polyphenols, such as catechins and procyanidins, and has been shown to inhibit low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and atherogenesis in a variety of models.

Human studies have also shown daily intake of cocoa increases plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and decreases LDL levels, the authors noted.

The antioxidant compounds in cocoa called polyphenols are credit for heart-healthy effects, and are particularly abundant in dark chocolate.

Eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.

Earlier, scientists from the University of California-Davis also found antioxidants called flavonoids in chocolate show promise to lower blood pressure.

Midori Natsume and colleagues investigated the effects of polyphenols on cholesterol by conducting the test on human liver and intestinal cells. The production of proteins called apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) was measured.

The results showed cocoa polyphenols increased ApoA1 levels, which is major component of good cholesterol, and decreased ApoB levels, the component of bad cholesterol.

The researchers also found  polyphenols appear to increase the activity of LDL receptors, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels.

By Stephen Lau and editing by Aimee keenan-Greene