Good news for chocolate lovers!! A new study reported that chocolate is beneficial to the heart and the brain.
The investigators performed an analysis on 7 studies to evaluate the effects of chocolate consumptions in various forms (such as chocolate bars, chocolate drinks, and chocolate snacks such as confectionary, biscuits, desserts and nutritional supplements) on overall health.
The results showed that high levels of chocolate consumption was associated with a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke when compared with individuals who ate the least amount of chocolate. The study, however, did not find any association between chocolate consumption and the risk of heart failure or the risk of diabetes.
The investigators believed that the favorable effects were due to the high content of polyphenols present in cocoa products which have beneficial effects on blood vessels, blood pressure, platelet aggregation, insulin resistance, and blood lipids.
If you are a chocolate lovers, go ahead and enjoy the various kinds of chocolate products. However, try to consume those that have high cocoa contents instead of the others that have high sugar and milk contents.
Source: ESC 2011 Congress
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