Eating chocolate could reduce your risk of stroke and dementia by 20%
If you couldn’t resist a square or two of chocolate last night, never fear – you could be saving your life. A new study from researchers at Harvard University has found that eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate significantly lowers the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) – an abnormal heart rate associated with stroke, heart failure and dementia.
Scientists examined more than 55,000 Danish men and women, tracking their body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol for 3.5 years. After identifying 3,346 cases of AF in the 13.5-year follow up period, they discovered that those who ate one to three 30g servings of chocolate per month had a 10 per cent lower rate of AF than those who had just one per month. Those who had one per week experienced a 17 per cent lower rate, while those who ate two to six servings per week has a 20 per cent lower rate.
“We observed a significant association between eating chocolate and a lower risk of AF – suggesting that even small amounts of cocoa consumption can have a positive health impact,” lead researcher Elizabeth Mostofsky said.
“Eating excessive amounts of chocolate is not recommended because many chocolate products are high in calories from sugar and fat and could lead to weight gain and other metabolic problems. But moderate intake of chocolate with high cocoa content may be a healthy choice.”
So there you have it! As long as you don’t go overboard, it’s time to stop feeling guilty about those few bites of chocolate after dinner.