Consuming cocoa increases good cholesterol

Cocoa Beans

According to Japanese researchers from OchanOmizu University consuming cocoa increases the HLD Cholesterol also known as the good cholesterol which in turn  removes harmful bad cholesterol from where it doesn't belong.

High HDL levels reduce the risk for heart disease but low levels increase the risk of heart disease.




The researchers took 25 healthy Japanese man with medium to high cholesterol and none of them overweight or drinkers. Firstly, they checked their blood samples and the urine of the participants in the study and they divided them in two groups. The first group was chosen to take drinks with cocoa every day for 12 weeks and the second group to take drinks without cocoa every day for 12 weeks.

But, it is important to mention that they didn't drink refined cocoa but cocoa grains which they baked, peeled and broked in pieces. At the end of the 12 day experiment, the researchers made again an analysis of blood samples and the urine.

The results from the last samples were interesting. The participants which took cocoa had an increase of 24% of HDL cholesterol. The other group which didn't take cocoa beans had also an increase of HDL cholesterol but with far less percentage ( 5%).

According to the researches cocoa contains antioxidants of the polyphenol type which is the main cause of the increase of the HDL cholesterol in the group that took cocoa. But at the end of the day what constitutes a good health is a balanced intake of the food.