Italian researchers discovered that eating 100g of dark chocolate each day for 15 days lowered blood pressure. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the team reported that the antioxidant called flavanol was responsible for the beneficial effect because it neutralised potentially cell-damaging substances known as oxygen free radicals. Additionally, the team from the University of L’Aquila found that the body’s ability to metabolise sugar, a problem affecting people with diabetes, improved. The flavanols found in dark chocolate helped protect against insulin resistance.

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