DALLAS—Eating moderate amounts of chocolate is linked to lower risks of heart failure among middle-aged and older women, compared to eating no chocolate at all, according to a new study published in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.
The 9-year study, conducted among 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women aged 48 to 83, examined the relationship of the amount of high-quality chocolate the women ate, compared to their risk for heart failure. The quality of chocolate consumed by the women had a higher density cocoa content somewhat like dark chocolate by American standards.
Researchers found women who ate an average of one to two servings of the high-quality chocolate per week had a 32-percent lower risk of developing heart failure, and those who had one to three servings per month had a 26-percent lower risk. Women who consumed at least one serving daily or more didn’t appear to benefit from a protective effect against heart failure. The average serving size for Swedish women in the study ranged from 19 grams among those 62 and older, to 30 grams among those 61 and younger. In contrast, the standard American portion size is 20 grams.
“You can’t ignore that chocolate is a relatively calorie-dense food and large amounts of habitual consumption is going to raise your risks for weight gain," said Murrray Mittleman, M.D., Dr.P.H., lead researcher of the study. “But if you’re going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it’s in moderation."
