We don’t need scientists to tell us chocolate tastes good and can help boost our mood if we’re edgy or blue. But a large new study shows enjoying high levels of chocolate can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge in England looked at the data of seven different studies on over one hundred thousand patients. They compared the brain and heart health between folks who ate lots of chocolate -- whether in the form of bars, drinks, cookies, other desserts or supplements -- and those that ate less than the equivalent of two bars of chocolate a week. After tallying results, the researchers found that the highest levels of chocolate consumption was associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels.
The scientists suspect the results reflect chocolate’s ability to decrease blood pressure, an already proven benefit. Still, they admit even though the results are promsing, more research needs to be conducted. They probably won’t have much trouble finding volunteers.
One caveat: Eating chocolate can lead to weight gain and Type 2 diabetes. So ultimately, if medical professionals end up prescribing chocolate to prevent heart problems and stroke, the sugar and fat content would need to be reduced.
The study was published in the "British Medical Journal" (BMJ).
