A new study from Harvard University suggests that eating two to six bars of chocolate a week could reduce your risk of a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation.
The research based on a sample of more than 50,000 people aged between 50 and 64 found that men eating between two and six portions of chocolate a week had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation, compared with those who avoid chocolate. The research also showed that women eating just one portion of chocolate a week had a 21 per cent lower risk.
Affecting about two per cent of the population, atrial fibrillation, also known as heart flutter, doubles the risk of dying from cardiac conditions such as stroke, heart attack and heart failure.
Previous studies that have suggested health benefits from chocolate have focused solely on dark chocolate, while this new research did not ask the participant which type of chocolate they ate.
“Despite the fact that most of the chocolate consumed in our sample probably contained relatively low concentrations of the potentially protective ingredients, we still observed a robust statistically significant association,” the researchers said.
Read more at telegraph.co.uk
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