Johns Hopkins University researchers have found that a little dark chocolate every day can help thin the blood, thereby possibly reducing the risk of developing a blood clot.
The researchers observed the platelets of a group of people, initially analyzing the effects of aspirin on the tiny particles in the blood, which can stick to each other and form clots, thereby causing a heart attack or stroke. The participants were told to give up chocolate for the study, but 139 were unable to do so and continued their chocolate consumption.
The scientists rolled with the issue and compared the blood of those who did not give up chocolate to those who did and found that the chocoholics' platelets clotted at 130 seconds when outside the body, whereas the other participants blood clotted at 123 seconds. The scientists concluded that chemicals in the cocoa -- possibly flavonoids -- were having a blood-thinning effect akin to aspirin.
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Dark chocolate found to help prevent blood clots in Johns Hopkins study
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