The cold has arrived and the coffee and chocolate consumption. But… “Is it good for me?”, “Is it going to harm my cardiovascular health?”, “Can I consume them together?”, “Do they benefit the body?”, “Allies or enemies of the heart?”, ” In what cases are they contraindicated?”, are some of the questions that the doctor receives in the office. Dr Mario Boskisrenowned cardiologist and full member of the Argentine Society of Cardiology.
As he explains, new studies have found results that change the usual paradigm that coffee it is detrimental to cardiovascular health: “At the last American Heart Congress, held in March of this year in Washington, three very interesting papers were presented about this infusion that generated a lot of interest. Using a database of more than 500 thousand people who were followed for 10 years, were asked about their coffee drinking habits and found, counterintuitively, that those who consumed 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, stroke or cardiovascular death than non-coffee drinkers. The studies were done in patients with and without heart disease, and all showed benefits in the ‘coffee group’.”
As for the chocolatehe adds, in recent years numerous investigations have emerged that tried to demonstrate its properties as a food beneficial for heart health: “Lowering effects on blood pressure and protection of coronary arteries have been described in limited studies, but a recent study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, in which a review of more than 336,000 patients followed for at least 9 years, consuming chocolate more than once a week was found to be associated with an 8% reduction in coronary heart disease.”
“It has been believed for some time that flavonols, a substance present in the grain of the cocoa, could be responsible for this protective role thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory function. Beyond that, chocolate would be responsible for generating substances called endorphins, which would help an effect of sensation of well-being and pleasure. But beware, it is also a source of calories, so its consumption should be very moderate and always consulted with a health professionalBoskis concludes.