Happy Sunday! In keeping with this upbeat stance, I am pleased to bring you news of a new scientific study that shows consumption of a certain amount of Chocolate can help your heart. It’s just one of several studies in the past couple of years that suggests we’re better off eating Chocolate than not…
Go ahead: Eat at least 100 g of Chocolate every day. Science says it’s good for you!
What they did…
A British study has data-mined the results of an ongoing survey of 25,000 adults in Norfolk, UK, that has asked subjects to report on their dietary habits at intervals of 2 years for an average of 12 years each. Researchers also looked at the results of a larger international survey which followed 158,000 subjects.
What they found…
Researchers found that about 20 percent of those studied reported eating no Chocolate at all, while others said they ate 100 g or more of Chocolate a day. The average consumption was 7 g a day.
During the span of the Norfolk study, 14 percent of those followed experienced a heart attack or stroke.
The takeaway…
Compared with those who ate no Chocolate, those who reported higher Chocolate intake had an 11 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a23 percent lower risk of stroke.
High Chocolate consumption was also associated with a 25 percent lower risk of early death overall.
Studies of Coffee and Red Wine consumption have previously identified flavonoid compounds in those beverages as beneficial to heart and overall health.
The new study’s conclusions sum up its findings thus: “[N]ot only flavonoids, but also other compounds, possibly related to milk constituents, such as calcium and fatty acids, may provide an explanation for the observed association. There does not appear to be any evidence to say that chocolate should be avoided in those who are concerned about cardiovascular risk.”
My take…
I think the scientists are just hedging their bets and exhibiting ‘an abundance of caution’ in their final statement, there. In fact, my own personal studies show that Red Wine and Coffee both pair well with Chocolate. Ideally, I’d take regular doses of each.
Why is it that all the things science has discovered are good for us are also among the most expensive? Dark Chocolate, Quality Coffee, Red Wine, Fish and Fresh Produce are all recommended by a plethora of studies over the past few years and are all among the most expansive foods we can choose. Who can afford to consistently eat healthy at that rate? Public health officials already suspect that’s why there’s a direct association between economic status – i.e: what people can afford to eat – and their health.
~ Maggie J.