Cocoa, fruit and tea can help keep heart healthy, study says

People who consumed flavanols saw modest reduction in blood pressure and drop in cholesterol

Substances found in cocoa, fruit and tea could help healthy people keep their heart and circulation in good working order as they get older, according to researchers in Germany.

Healthy middle-aged people who consumed two flavanol drinks a day had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than a control group that had similar drinks that lacked the flavanols, a month-long study showed.