Researchers reveal that having one chocolate a day is as beneficial as having half an hour of exercise for the patients suffering from high blood pressure.

The study discovered that people with high blood pressure can decrease the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke by 20 % if they consume a chocolate daily.

The research was conducted by scientists at Adelaide University team which was guided by Dr. Karin Ried.

Certain chemicals called the flavanols are present in chocolate, especially the dark variety. These chemicals dilate the blood vessels in the body and enable the blood to flow easily, thereby decreasing the pressure of blood.

Normally the results in people with normal blood pressure defy this study. The reason behind it is that consumption of chocolate does not cause any change in their blood pressures. But, people having high blood pressures experienced lowering of their blood pressures by eating dark chocolates.

After eating dark chocolates the blood pressure comes down by 5mm Hg and this is comparable to the drop in BP, while doing physical exercise.

Further studies should be conducted in order to ascertain the long term effects of chocolate consumption on BP.