Chocolate, anyone? You might think that indulging in a piece of delicious chocolate every week is bad for you but the reality may be just the opposite. According to a new study, men who eat a moderate amount of chocolate each week may actually be reducing their risk of stroke.
A new study out of Sweden shows that flavonoids found in chocolate may be responsible for the link between consumption and lowered risk of stroke in men. Study leader Dr. Susanna Larsson said: “The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate.”
The 10-year study analyzed the health of 37,103 Swedish men aged 49 to 75 and found that men who ate the most chocolate (about one third a cup of chocolate chips per week) reduced their stroke risk by 17 percent. This research was then followed up by a larger analysis of data collected from 5 European and American studies that included 4,260 stroke cases. That study revealed that “people eating the most chocolate were 19 percent less likely to have a stroke than those consuming the least.”
That study also suggested that “for every increase in chocolate consumption of about 50 grams per week, stroke risk decreased by about 14 percent.”
On a similar note, one of Larsson’s studies from last year analyzed the effects of chocolate consumption and stroke risk in women. Those results showed that “women who have two small bars of chocolate a week (about66.5 grams) were about 20 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who abstained from eating it.”
And while the effects of chocolate consumption are positive when it comes to preventing strokes, research leaders stress the importance of moderation. “Because chocolate is high in sugar, saturated fat, and calories, it should be consumed in moderation,” Larsson warns.
Will you increase your chocolate consumption after learning the results of this study?
Source: DailyMail
