Good news for Valentine’s Day: Dark chocolate and champagne may improve heart health

It’s news you’ll love for Valentine’s Day: a leading health expert says the dark chocolates and bubbly you bought your sweetheart may also improve their heart health.

There’s some surprisingly good news for everyone planning a romantic Valentine’s Day treat. Chocolate and Champagne are not necessarily bad for you. In fact, the treats you just bought your heart’s desire may also be just what their hearts need to stay healthy.

Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: ‘‘The good news for Valentine’s Day is that chocolates and fizz, in moderation, might improve our heart health.

‘Dark chocolate made from cocoa beans contains natural, beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. These have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while also producing nitrous oxide in the blood, helping relax blood vessels and so reduce blood pressure. Eating chocolate at least once a week is linked to an 8% reduced risk of heart disease, according to research published in the “European Journal of Preventive Cardiology”. It also found that chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients that may reduce inflammation and improve the amount of good cholesterols in the body.

‘A fascinating review of studies in the “British Medical Journal”, which included over 114,000 participants, found that those who ate higher levels of chocolate were 37% less likely to have coronary heart disease than people who ate the least chocolate. Higher levels of chocolate consumption were also associated with a 31% reduction in diabetes and a 29% reduction in strokes.

‘So chocolates may actually be good for our hearts in some ways, which is very appropriate for Valentine’s Day. But what about Champagne? Can a bottle of bubbly also be good for our heart health?

Research from the University of Reading, published in the “British Journal of Nutrition”, suggests that two glasses of Champagne a day may be good for your heart and circulation. The researchers found that drinking Champagne daily in moderate amounts causes improvements in the way blood vessels function.

‘Again, this is down to our old friends, polyphenols. These plant chemicals are also found in the red grapes and white grapes used in Champagne production. When we drink Champagne, these polyphenols are absorbed into the circulation where they are able to act on the vascular system. Specifically, they appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide from our blood, which ultimately improves vascular tone and circulation.

High nitric oxide levels in the blood, as a result of drinking Champagne, can have a positive effect on cardiovascular health, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.