More Research Hints at Chocolate's Heart Benefits
By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Eating milk chocolate or dark chocolate regularly may lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study suggests.
Middle-aged or older folks who ate as much as 3.5 ounces of chocolate a day seemed to receive heart health benefits, British researchers report in the June 16 issue of the journal Heart.
And most people in the study ate milk chocolate, generally considered less healthy than dark chocolate because it contains more sugar and fat, the researchers noted.
"People who want to eat chocolate should not be worried too much about their cardiovascular health," said study co-author Dr. Phyo Myint, chair of medicine of old age at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. "We did not find any harmful effects of chocolate, if they want to enjoy chocolate now and again. The key is moderation."
While the study uncovered a link between chocolate and heart health, it didn't prove cause-and-effect.
The research team mainly based its findings on almost 21,000 adults taking part in a study that is tracking the impact of diet on the long-term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, England.
Participants were monitored for nearly 12 years, on average, during which time 14 percent of them fell ill with either heart disease or stroke.
The researchers found that people who ate the most chocolate a day -- up to 3.5 ounces -- had a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 23 percent lower risk of stroke than those who ate no chocolate.
The researchers then lumped the data in with nine other studies that measured chocolate consumption and heart disease. The combined pool involved nearly 158,000 people.
This analysis produced even stronger results. People who ate the most chocolate had a 29 percent reduced risk of heart disease and a 21 percent reduced risk of stroke, compared with those who ate the least. They also were 45 percent less likely to die from heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Eating milk chocolate or dark chocolate regularly may lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study suggests.
Middle-aged or older folks who ate as much as 3.5 ounces of chocolate a day seemed to receive heart health benefits, British researchers report in the June 16 issue of the journal Heart.
And most people in the study ate milk chocolate, generally considered less healthy than dark chocolate because it contains more sugar and fat, the researchers noted.
"People who want to eat chocolate should not be worried too much about their cardiovascular health," said study co-author Dr. Phyo Myint, chair of medicine of old age at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. "We did not find any harmful effects of chocolate, if they want to enjoy chocolate now and again. The key is moderation."
While the study uncovered a link between chocolate and heart health, it didn't prove cause-and-effect.
The research team mainly based its findings on almost 21,000 adults taking part in a study that is tracking the impact of diet on the long-term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, England.
Participants were monitored for nearly 12 years, on average, during which time 14 percent of them fell ill with either heart disease or stroke.
The researchers found that people who ate the most chocolate a day -- up to 3.5 ounces -- had a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 23 percent lower risk of stroke than those who ate no chocolate.
The researchers then lumped the data in with nine other studies that measured chocolate consumption and heart disease. The combined pool involved nearly 158,000 people.
This analysis produced even stronger results. People who ate the most chocolate had a 29 percent reduced risk of heart disease and a 21 percent reduced risk of stroke, compared with those who ate the least. They also were 45 percent less likely to die from heart disease, heart attack or stroke.