Patients prefer pills over chocolate as medicine
Despite the finding that dark chocolate have a more favorable effect on blood pressure than either a pill or placebo, patients shun away from chocolate as a medicine.
"Fifty grams of dark chocolate containing 70 percent of cocoa daily was less acceptable than a pill of tomato extract or placebo," said Karin Ried, co-author of a study published Aug. 12 in the BMJ.
Preliminary studies found that the antioxidants flavonoids and polyphenols in dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. Experts say even a small piece of chocolate taken daily can benefit heart health. However, when researchers in Australia randomized 36 people to take 50 milligrams of dark chocolate that’s 70 percent cocoa, a tomato extract capsule, or a placebo daily for eight weeks, half of those in the chocolate group said they could not eat the amount of chocolate everyday.
One out of four participants who took the chocolate considered it as an “unacceptable long-term treatment option.” Participants who took the pill daily had no problem. Although eating chocolate sounds like a great prescription, the study showed that patients could not keep the regimen.
"Chocolate might not be practical to be recommended as long-term treatment for blood pressure," Ried said. "There is something about consuming a food item voluntarily or having to eat it on a daily basis over a period of 12 weeks." "In particular, half a block of dark chocolate [50 grams] is not an insignificant amount.
Participants in our trial reported strong taste and concerns about fat/sugar content as reasons for unacceptability of chocolate as a long-term treatment option,” Ried added. Dark chocolate does help in reducing blood pressure according to experts but the study indicates it may not be considered as a medication.