For the past few months my blood pressure has been fine ranging from as low as 114/65 to 132/68 mostly in the 120's over 60's. Then several days ago it registered as high as 158/81 and several other readings in the 140's. I have long suspected that chocolate affected my blood pressure. Yes, I did have several chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and a luscious piece of chocolate cake. In the past I noticed a spike in my BP after drinking hot chocolate or eating chocolate candy. Today, 4 days after the chocolate incident, my BP is 126/71. I am now convinced that chocolate and I don't agree. Although I don't consider myself a nervous person, I have noticed that Resperate does have a calming effect on me. I am 71 years old and unfortunately hit a deer while driving home recently. (I'm fine but the car sustained minor damage). When I got back in the car to drive home I thought "Gee you are really calm. Your heart isn't even racing." I consider that an added benefit of Resperate.

Sounds like your allergic to chocolate. There are a number of studies that have found that moderate amounts of dark chocolate actually reduce substantially BP.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/da...althy-chocolate
http://www.azcentral.com/health/wellness/a...ocolate-ON.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...04/nchoc104.xml
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/07/04/chocolate.html

Incidentally, it seems to work for me, dark chocolate has a pretty nice impact (lowering) on my BP... usually detectable in 3 or 4 hours after eating some of the chocolate.

Actually DARK CHOCOLATE can lower BP, but MILK CHOCOLATE will not. If you injest too much of the wrong kind you will raise BP. Too much of any chocolate will be bad b/c you will likely weigh too much. MODERATE INTAKE OF DARK CHOCOLATE WORKS FOR SOME.

I am a diabetic with high BP on medication for both, my glucose numbers hovering around 160/190 and BP 145/90, I am fighting hard. Will eating dark chocolate to reduce BP adversely affect my dibetes? Also, should I eat processed or unprocessed dark chocolates, both contain sugar.

I recently was a part of an NIH double-blind clinical research study on the effects of dark chocolate on High Blood Pressure. The study was sponsored by Mars, and it was their intention to market a new dark chocolate by citing the benefits.
I'm a 51-year old male, healthy & active at a normal weight eating a healthy diet of mostly vegetables and fruit, non-smoker & non-drinker, with a relatively stress-free job & lifestyle. And I have a usual BP of about 160/105.
For three weeks, when consuming the dark chocolate, my BP dropped to about 145/100. As part of the study, I monitored my BP in the morning and evenings, with three readings five minutes apart.
So, I certainly would endorse eating dark chocolate.
For me, it has no detrimental side effects such as diabetes.
I hope this helps!

I consider chocolate as a comforting food. When I am down and angry chocolates like chocolate chip cookies are the only food that can appease me. I guess the wisdom in here is that too much can be dangerous, so always take everything in moderation. Personalized Fortune Cookies

How much dark chocolate is the recommended daily amount to have a beneficial effect on BP? (in ounces, if possible) Thanks!

I have read in Life Extension that 3 oz. per day will suffice.

Was thinking that it's not the chocolate but the fat and (refined) sugar in the candy, cookies, and hot chocolate. As a general rule I think the less salt, saturated fats, and refined sugars we consume the better. Good luck.