Many people like indulging in chocolate from time to time. If you’re one of those people, you may wonder how sweets may affect different aspects of your health — such as your blood pressure. It turns out that the specific way chocolate affects your body depends on your sensitivity to the ingredients in it and how much of it you’re eating. Here’s everything you need to know.
How Cocoa Affects Blood Pressure
In small amounts, some chocolate may actually help lower your blood pressure. But not all chocolates are created equal. Specifically, dark chocolate that has a cocoa content of 70 percent or more is better for your heart health than other options like milk chocolate or white chocolate. That’s because the high cocoa content contains more flavanols, which are antioxidants that help relax your blood vessels. When this effect occurs, it can also lead to a reduction in your blood pressure.
What Role Does Caffeine Play?
Caffeine is a stimulant that can temporarily raise blood pressure. While you may think of coffee when you hear the word “caffeine,” the cocoa beans that are used to make chocolate do contain some amount of caffeine. For reference, one dark chocolate bar with a cocoa content of 70 to 85 percent contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that most adults can safely have about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day without adverse effects.
However, if you limit your caffeine intake because you have a history of high blood pressure, then it may be a good idea to limit your chocolate intake too. While the caffeine content in dark chocolate isn’t above the daily recommended amount (and milk chocolate has even less caffeine), because caffeine can spike blood pressure, it’s important to limit yourself to small quantities to avoid any negative side effects.
The Effect of Sugar
Chocolate isn’t just cocoa beans and caffeine though. If you pick up a chocolate bar at the checkout counter at the grocery store, it will likely include added sugars. And while sugar may be a great addition for your taste buds, it often doesn’t do your heart any good. Eating an excess amount of added sugars has been shown to elevate blood pressure and increase your risk of health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. If you have a diagnosis of hypertension or are at risk of high blood pressure, it’s important to be mindful about your sugar intake.
The Takeaway
The effect chocolate has on your blood pressure depends on the type of chocolate it is, the other ingredients in it, and how much of it you eat.
Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70 percent can actually lower blood pressure, if you eat it in small amounts.
However, chocolate naturally contains caffeine and often has added sugar too, both of which can increase blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure or may be at risk of the condition, it’s important to be mindful of your chocolate intake.
