Chocolate 'cuts heart risk by a third'
Eating chocolate regularly could cut the risk of heart disease by a third, according to the largest analysis of its kind to date.
By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent, in Paris
2:01PM BST 29 Aug 2011
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Those who eat more chocolate have a 37 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who eat little, according to a Cambridge University analysis of seven separate studies, containing in total over 100,000 people.
They also have a 29 per cent lower chance of stroke, although they do not have a lower risk of heart failure.
The studies, which followed people in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the US and Japan for about a decade on average, did not focus on dark chocolate alone, which is believed to be the most beneficial type.
Rather, they included consumption of other types including milk chocolate and chocolate bars, drinks, biscuits and desserts.
Dr Oscar Franco, from the university’s Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, said no one really understood why chocolate appeared to be so good for heart health.
He said: “Foods are very complex structures where many substances interact to have a beneficial effect.”
One theory is that chocolate contains large amounts of antioxidants, some of which can help keep the arteries clean.
It could also help people to relax and enjoy life more, he thought.
“Chocolate could be contributing to better quality of life, and that could be one of the mechanisms, but that’s just speculation,” he said.
There was also some evidence that it stimulated the release of endorphins, neurotransmitters that give people a feeling of wellbeing.
Dr Franco presented the results at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Paris on Monday, while a paper has also been published in the British Medical Journal.
He cautioned that the study did not give people carte blanche to gorge on chocolate – be that dark, milk or white.
He said it only suggested two pieces of chocolate a day; while other studies have indicated a mere 20 to 50g – a small bar’s worth – is enough.
“Eat it in a moderate way,” he advised. “Over-indulgence should be avoided.”
And while the analysis did not differentiate between different types of chocolate, he said it was clear that dark chocolate was the healthier option, as it contained less sugar and fat.
Health campaigners are worried this type of research sends out the wrong message, and people become confused about what is and is not healthy food.
Victoria Taylor, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We can’t start advising people to eat lots of chocolate based on this research.
“If you want to reduce your heart disease risk, there are much better places to start than at the bottom of a box of chocolates.”
But Dr Franco was unapologetic about his research.
“You should not keep from doing something that could bring a benefit, just because you are concerned about headlines,” he said.
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.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8729306/Chocolate-cuts-heart-risk-by-a-third.html
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