Dark Chocolate and High Blood Pressure
Good news for chocolate lovers: dark chocolate may lower blood pressure.
Reports about positive effects of dark chocolate are common. Portuguese researchers have now supported this in a small study of 30 healthy participants aged 18 to 27.
However, no structural changes in the heart itself were detected. This may be partly due to the short study duration and partly because the study participants were all young and healthy.
Earlier studies have also often reported the positive effects of dark chocolate, especially the flavonoids it contains.
However, hardly any significant blood pressure reductions have been observed in participants with high blood pressure that could be confidently attributed to chocolate consumption.
Therefore no explicit recommendation to eat chocolate can be given. The potential positive effects are offset by the known downsides of increased consumption. Chocolate is very calorie-dense and can promote overweight if eaten in excess. The sugar it contains also damages the teeth.
In January 2024 a study by Chinese researchers was published. They examined data from various studies, including the genetic profiles of almost 65,000 Europeans, to investigate the effects of dark chocolate. They found signs that consuming dark chocolate may reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. A connection seems likely, but it should be investigated more closely. Dark chocolate had no effect on other cardiovascular risk factors.
In January 2024 a study by Chinese researchers was published. They examined data from various studies, including the genetic profiles of almost 65,000 Europeans, to investigate the effects of dark chocolate. They found signs that consuming dark chocolate may reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. A connection seems likely, but it should be investigated more closely. Dark chocolate had no effect on other cardiovascular risk factors.
In conclusion, if you want to give in to a chocolate craving, it's better to choose dark chocolate with a high cocoa content rather than varieties with little cocoa and lots of sugar. In our experience, you don't need to eat a whole bar of dark chocolate to satisfy a chocolate craving. Usually, a few small pieces of the dark treat are enough.
Sources
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900718311298
- https://www.herzstiftung.de/Schokolade-Herzinfarkt.html
- https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-8-39
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.886597/full
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38200066/
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 01/2026).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
