Study Finds Potential Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate For Eye Health

A recent study conducted by researchers from Italy has revealed that consuming a small amount of dark chocolate could potentially benefit your eyesight. The study found that eating just a few squares of dark chocolate, around three from a standard bar, can improve the functionality of the blood vessels in your eyes, which is crucial for maintaining clear and healthy vision.

The lead author of the study, Giuseppe Querques, expressed surprise at the fact that even a relatively small dose of dark chocolate is capable of positively affecting the motion and expansion of retinal vessels. Querques, who is also a professor of Ophthalmology at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan, suggested that this finding indicates that dark chocolate has the potential to prevent eye diseases and may have broader health benefits, as the observed effects on the blood vessels in the eyes could reflect the impact of cocoa on the rest of the body.

The retina plays a significant role in converting light into signals that are interpreted by the brain as images. Any issues with the retina can lead to problems such as blurred vision, dark spots, or even partial loss of vision.

In their research, Querques and his team compared the effects of dark chocolate with milk chocolate on retinal blood vessels. They conducted the study on 20 healthy adults, with an average age of 24 years old, who consumed either 20 grams of dark chocolate or 7.5 grams of milk chocolate on separate occasions.

The dark chocolate used in the study contained 400 milligrams of flavanols, plant compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while the milk chocolate had a lower flavanol content.

After a two-hour period following chocolate consumption, the researchers discovered that dark chocolate resulted in a 4 percent expansion of blood vessels, whereas milk chocolate only led to a 2.75 percent expansion. This represents a 45 percent greater increase observed in the dark chocolate group.

The positive effect on the blood vessels observed in the study is believed to be attributed to the presence of flavanols in dark chocolate, which suggests that regular consumption of dark chocolate might enhance the health and functionality of blood vessels in the eyes.

However, the study did not find any significant differences in overall blood flow or the structure of retinal vessels between dark and milk chocolate. While dark chocolate appears to improve the functionality of blood vessels, it seems to have no effect on their overall structure or blood flow, according to the researchers.

Querques also noted that if further studies confirm the potential role of regular dark chocolate consumption in preventing or managing retinal diseases, daily intake of cocoa could be utilized as a therapy or prevention measure for not only retinal diseases but also systemic diseases.