Dark Chocolate Eases Walking for Patients with Artery Disease

Previous studies have shown the numerous health benefits of dark chocolate. Yet researchers from Italy recently discovered that the antioxidants found in dark chocolate have the capability to actually improve circulation while walking. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Nutrients are key components of health and disease," said Dr. Lorenzo Loffredo, the study's lead author from Sapienza University in Rome, via FOX News.

The study involved 20 older adults between the ages of 60 and 78, consisting of 14 men and six women. All participants dealt with peripheral artery disease; a condition that's characterized by narrow arteries that halt blood flow from the heart to the brain, stomach and even the extremities.

For those dealing with the health issue, this can lead to pain, cramping and fatigue, particularly in the hips or legs. To see if dark chocolate could provide any relief for the patients, researchers tested its effects on the participants by asking them to walk on a treadmill at 2.2 miles per hour and a 12-percent grade. They were also tested to see how long they could endure at this pace.

Researchers found that patients who ate milk chocolate before the study showed no signs of improvements in their walking ability. However, those who had dark chocolate were able to walk for longer periods and farther distances, suggesting that this type of chocolate may help with circulation.

"Polyphenol-rich nutrients could represent a new therapeutic strategy to counteract cardiovascular complications," said Francesco Violi, M.D., study senior author and professor of internal medicine at the Sapienza University of Rome, according to a news release. The dark chocolate used in the study had more than 85 percent cocoa.

Furthermore, researchers found that those who had consumed the dark chocolate were on the treadmills 15 percent longer than those who had the milk chocolate.

"The results are certainly interesting but modest, in terms of the walking distance improved," said Dr. Mark Creager, director of the Vascular Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who also serves as a spokesman for the American Heart Association, according to WebMD. "With information such as this, one would anticipate these investigators will conduct a much larger trial with long-term treatment to confirm their observations."

Despite these findings, researchers stress that eating chocolate bars every day may not be the best idea--not even dark chocolate. Of course, dark chocolate can certainly be a treat every now and then. However, health experts suggest that people indulge in other foods with polyphenols that may carry less fat and sugar content, as well.