According to new research, there is good news for chocolate addicts, who can reduce the risk of heart disease by indulging at least once a week.
A study of 336,289 people found that consuming chocolate more than once a week reduced the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 8 percent compared to those who eat it less frequently, the Standard reported.
“Our study suggests that chocolate helps keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy,” said study author Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
The researchers combined six studies to study the link between chocolate consumption and coronary heart disease, a condition in which the arteries are blocked by an accumulation of fatty substances.
They said that the nutrients in chocolate, including flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid, can reduce inflammation and raise good cholesterol.
But Krittanawong had a warning.
“Moderate amounts of chocolate appear to protect the coronary arteries, but large amounts are unlikely to do so,” he said.
“The calories, sugar, milk and fat of products available on the market must be taken into account, especially in diabetic and obese people,” added Krittanawong.
Participants, who were from the US, Sweden and Australia, had an average follow-up time of approximately nine years in studies spanning the past five decades.
The analysis, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology Research, found that 14,043 of the participants developed coronary heart disease.
Compared to eating chocolate less than once a week, consuming it regularly more than once a week was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of the disease, the authors said.
The study did not consider whether any particular type of chocolate is better or if there is an ideal serving size.
.
