Dark chocolate which contains cocoa, was good for patients with liver cirrhosis. At least that's the conclusion from recent research that examines the potential health benefits of chocolate. Spanish researchers involved in the research, said dark chocolate could prevent the increasing of blood pressure in the abdomen that usually happens after the main meal. Increased blood pressure as it could reach dangerous levels in patients with liver cirrhosis, and in severe cases, cause the rupture of blood vessels. Antioxidants called flavanols found in cocoa are believed to be the reason why chocolate is good for blood pressure. Therefore, the chemicals called flavanols that help to smooth muscle cells of blood vessels to relaxed and widened.
A study of 21 patients with advanced liver found that the group that his diet containing dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 85% experienced only a very small increase in blood pressure in the liver, or portal hypertension, than the group who were given white chocolate.
This study showed a clear link between eating dark chocolate and lower portal hypertension, and demonstrate the potential importance of improvements in the treatment of patients with cirrhosis. Damage caused by cirrhosis of the liver in the long term can cause a scar on the liver. Cirrhosis itself is caused by various factors, including infectious hepatitis and alcohol abuse.
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