White Chocolate for Heart Health

Amassing research suggests a wealth of potential health effects of dark chocolate, ranging from improvements to cardiovascular markers to benefits on cognitive performance.  Luisa M. Ostertag, from University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom), and colleagues enrolled 42 healthy men and women in a study where each received 60 grams of a flavanol-enriched dark chocolate (containing 907 mg of flavanols),  standard dark chocolate (containing 382 mg of flavanols), or white chocolate (zero flavanol content).  The enriched dark chocolate yielded significant decreases in platelet aggregation as well as expression of the cell adhesion molecule P-selectin – in men, only.  The same enriched dark chocolate was observed to decrease platelet aggregation and increase fibrinogen binding – in women, only.  Among men who consumed the white chocolate, P-selectin expression was decreased and bleeding time was increased.  The study authors submit that: “compounds in white chocolate, can improve platelet function, dependent on gender, and may thus beneficially affect atherogenesis.”