What happens to your heart health when you combine almonds and dark chocolate?

Almonds and dark chocolate offer many health benefits when consumed separately. Evidence suggests that combining these foods may have additional benefits for heart health, such as reducing bad cholesterol.

Eating Dark Chocolate and Almonds May Help Lower Bad Cholesterol

When combined, dark chocolate and almonds may have a synergistic effect on certain measures of cholesterol, potentially helping to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterolalso known as “bad cholesterol”.

In one study, 31 overweight or obese people ate these foods together. Researchers compared the results of those who followed the following four diets for four weeks:

• An average American diet without almonds, chocolate or cocoa
• An almond diet that included eating almonds alone (42.5 grams [g] per day)
• A chocolate and cocoa diet that included consumption of dark chocolate (43 g per day) and cocoa powder (18 g per day)
• A combined diet of almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa

Researchers reported that the combination of raw almonds, dark chocolate, and cocoa significantly reduced the number of small, dense LDL particles. These particles are considered more likely to promote plaque formation because they can penetrate the artery wall more easily than larger LDL particles.

Consuming the combination of dark chocolate and almonds was also associated with a reduction in apolipoprotein B (ApoB), which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. ApoB is a protein found on LDL particles.

Benefits of Almonds for Heart Health

While the combination of dark chocolate and almonds has a positive impact on heart health, each food has distinct cardioprotective qualities that contribute to these benefits.

Almonds may help improve heart health by:

• Providing many minerals and phytochemicals linked to positive effects on heart health. These benefits include a reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as the maintenance or increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also called “good” cholesterol.
• Providing healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fatswhich promote the reduction of blood cholesterol levels and provide other potentially cardioprotective benefits when consumed in place of saturated fats from dairy products.
• Potentially reduce risk factors for heart disease. Research has shown that consuming almonds improves blood lipids and decreases body weight and ApoB.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Heart Health

Research has shown that dark chocolate may help improve heart health by:

• Providing flavonoidsa type of herbal compound that improves blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and reduces inflammation.
• Reduce LDL cholesterol And increased HDL cholesterol.
• Provide antioxidants which protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
• Improve endothelial function (with frequent and moderate consumption), that is, the ability of your arteries to remain dilated and elastic, a benefit that can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Tips for Adding Dark Chocolate and Almonds to Your Diet

To optimize the benefits of consuming dark chocolate and almonds:

• Look for a higher cocoa content: Choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa, as higher amounts of cocoa contain more flavonoids. The cholesterol reduction reported in the study occurred when participants consumed a small amount of cocoa in addition to almonds and dark chocolate.
• Pay attention to portion sizes: Don’t overdo the amount of almonds and dark chocolate you consume. The positive effects observed in studies were obtained with a third of a cup of almonds, alone or in combination with a quarter of a cup of dark chocolate and 2 1/3 teaspoons of cocoa.
• Use as part of a broader heart-healthy lifestyle change: Although research on eating almonds and dark chocolate has shown benefits for cholesterol levels, this dietary change did not have a significant impact on other key indicators of heart health, such as blood sugar and blood pressure.