Cocoa reduces high blood pressure but tea does not, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany compared the results of 10 different studies, five examining the effects of cocoa on blood pressure, and five examining the effects of tea. Both cocoa and tea are high in plant compounds called flavonoids, which prior studies have linked to reduced cholesterol levels and blood clotting risk.

In the five cocoa studies, conducted between 1966 and 2006, consumption of cocoa caused a lowering of blood pressure by an average of 4.7/2.8 mm Hg. In the five tea studies, no significant change was observed.

“This suggests that the different plant phenols must be differentiated with respect to their blood pressure-lowering potential and thus cardiovascular disease prevention,” the researchers wrote.

Tea is higher in the type of flavonoid called flavan-3-ols, while cocoa is higher in procyanids. The researchers said that the level of blood-pressure reduction observed in the cocoa studies would be sufficient to reduce the risk of stroke by 20 percent, the risk of coronary heart disease by 10 percent and the overall risk of premature death by 8 percent.

Posted: 09|10|07 at 12:40 pm. Filed under: News.