CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom—Individuals who eat chocolate at least once a week reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by 37% and their risk of stroke by 29%, compared with those who eat it less often, according to results of a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge conducted a large-scale review of existing evidence to evaluate the effects of eating chocolate on cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. They analyzed the results of seven studies, involving more than 100,000 participants with and without existing heart disease. For each study, they compared the group with the highest chocolate consumption against the group with the lowest consumption.
Five studies reported a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disorders. The highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels.
A study published last summer in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure also found eating moderate amounts of chocolate is linked to lower risks of heart failure among middle-aged and older women. The 9-year study, conducted among 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women aged 48 to 83, found women who ate an average of one to two servings of the high-quality chocolate per week had a 32% lower risk of developing heart failure, and those who had one to three servings per month had a 26% lower risk.
