ABSTRACT
Background: Consumption of dark chocolate has been often hypothesized to have a role in the prevention of chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of consumption of dark chocolate [DC] on serum oxidative stress and blood pressure [BP] in patients with metabolic syndrome [MetS]
Methods: An 8-week parallel randomized clinical trial involving 114 patients with MetS was conducted on stable medication in 2014. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: 1] consume 40 g/d DC [40G], 2] consume 20 g/d DC [20G], and 3] consume no DC as the control group [CG]. BP, radical scavenging activity of 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH], and malondialdehyde [MDA] were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention
Results: Mean age, weight, and body mass index [BMI] of participants were 51.38 +/- 6.95 y, 77.34 +/- 12.86 kg, and 28.65 +/- 4.4 kg/m2, respectively. No significant differences were found among the three groups in relation to these variables after the intervention. The mean change of systolic blood pressure in 40G, 20G, and CG were 0.31 +/- 1.81, 0.37 +/- 1.65, and 0.26 +/- 1.56 mmHg [P = 0.3], respectively. These figures for diastolic blood pressure were obtained as 0.08 +/- 1.03, -0.02 +/- 1.12, and 0.22 +/- 1.03 mmHg. No significant changes were observed in MDA and DPPH between three groups
Conclusion: Even daily intake of 40 g of DC with 76% purity for an 8-week period had no effect on body weight, BMI, BP, and oxidative stress in patients with MetS