Expert explains how blood pressure can be lowered by…

Expert explains how blood pressure can be lowered by regularly eating popular sweet treat

High blood pressure, can often go unnoticed as its symptoms are not obvious. Also known as hypertension, the condition can increase the risk of serious heart problems if left untreated, including heart attacks and strokes.

But according to health experts, certain foods can keep blood pressure low. Surprisingly, one of these foods is a popular sweet treat - chocolate.

Blood pressure is recorded using two numbers, and is considered high if a reading is above 140/90 mmHg. According to the NHS, high blood pressure is measured by taking several readings each day - with the average calculated to best determine if someone is at risk.

People more at risk of high blood pressure are those who are overweight, eating a diet high in salt and not being physically active. While some people may require medication to lower their blood pressure, for others, it can be both controlled and prevented through eating a low-fat, balanced diet.

So, how can chocolate, a treat usually labelled as unhealthy, help lower blood pressure? Here is everything you should know, as well as other foods which can fight off hypertension, as reported by the Mirror.

Can chocolate help lower blood pressure?

Dark chocolate has numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure readings (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Food products rich in flavonoids, can help widen blood vessels – which in turn can help reduce blood pressure.

Flavonoids are found in cocoa products, such as cocoa powder, dark chocolate and, to a lesser extent, milk chocolate. Flavonoids found in dark chocolate have proved this theory further establishing their ability to help reduce blood pressure.

Dr Karin Ried from the University of Adelaide, Australia said: “Flavanols [a type of flavanoids] have been shown to increase the formation of endothelial nitric oxide, which promotes vasodilation and consequently may lower blood pressure.

“There have, however, been conflicting results as to the real-life effects of eating chocolate. We've found that consumption can significantly, albeit modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure."

In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, flavonoid foods to help with high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases was investigated. The aim of the study was to review the effectiveness of different flavonoid-rich foods on cardiovascular disease and risk factors including blood pressure.

It concluded that consuming foods such as cocoa in moderation can help to lower blood pressure and as such reduce a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases.