Keeping it Healthy on Valentine’s Day: The Gift of Chocolate

To many of us, February means Valentine’s Day, a pleasant respite from the dark of winter. The good news is that it is just around the corner! Candy or flowers from somebody you love can make this the best—or at least the sweetest—holiday of the year. However, that may soon be history, according to a friend of mine. With all the talk about healthy eating and avoiding sweets, she’s afraid the best part of Valentine’s Day may be on its way out.

Not so fast, I say, as long as we stay with chocolate candy. There’s an increasing amount of scientific evidence that chocolate is actually good for us. Consider this:

• A new Swedish study of more than 30,000 women followed for 10 years reported that those who ate at least 45 grams of chocolate per week (about two candy bars) had a 20% lower risk of stroke than those who ate less than 9 grams of chocolate per week (Larsson et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58(17):1828-1829).
• A review of seven studies found that five of the studies showed an association between higher levels of chocolate consumption and reductions in cardiovascular disease and stroke risk (Buitrago-Lopez et al. BMJ. 2011;343:d4488).
• Several studies, including a 2010 German study of more than 19,000 people followed for more than 8 years, found that the 25% of people who consumed the most chocolate had lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart attack and stroke (Buijsse et al. Eur Heart J. 2010;31(13):1616-1623).

What is it about chocolate? Cocoa and chocolate are high in polyphenol antioxidants, especially flavanols. These compounds appear to have multiple beneficial actions, which include reducing inflammation, improving vascular health principally by reducing blood clotting, and lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (Galleano M et al. J Cardiovasc Pharma. 2009;54:483).

So, you may even help that special person’s health by giving chocolates this year. Stick to dark chocolate (more flavanols) and avoid confections with sugary, gooey centers. If you want to dress it up a bit, choose chocolate with almonds (a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids) or some other nut or fruit bark, and your gift will be a real hit. Have a happy, healthy Valentine’s Day!

 

Janet R. Maurer, MD, MBA, FCCP, is Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, and a clinical advisor at National Imaging Associates, where she is responsible for providing oversight to clinical teams and ensuring adherence to evidence-based guidelines. She is an active Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and active member of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Her ACCP leadership involvement has included being a trustee of The CHEST Foundation; Chair of the AQuIRE Committee; and a member of the Quality Improvement and Health and Science Policy Committees. She has worked extensively in developing programs to help people stay well by developing healthy living habits and by learning to self-manage chronic disease.

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