Here’s some good news for all chocolate lovers. A new research has proposed that people who regularly eat chocolates are three times less likely to die from heart disease than others. Imre Janszky and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden found the connection between heart attacks and the amount of chocolate eaten by an individual.
Antioxidants present in cocoa play a major role in preventing heart diseases and cancer, and according to the researchers, the life saving properties of these antioxidants account for the findings of the present study.
1,169 patients aged 45-70, who had suffered from at least one heart attack, were interviewed about their diet prior to the attack and then the eating habits of these patients were monitored for additional eight years.
Researchers find chocolate eaters having better heart health
“Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds,” said the researchers.
The researchers found that the patients who consumed some amount of chocolates had better blood pressures and less chances of a second heart failure.
Past studies have also found evidence on cocoa, the key ingredient of chocolate, being a heart saving drug, but the present study specifically talks of chocolates as being good for the heart.
The researchers took into account factors like obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption of the patients also before arriving at their findings.
Word of caution
Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, co author of the study said, “The study only involved chocolate and they did not find a benefit from sweets in general.”
He also warned that chocolate should be eaten in moderate amounts to avoid weight issues, which increase the risk of heart problems, but to those who have no weight-gain problems, he gives a ‘thumbs up’.
At present, clinical trials are being conducted to further validate these findings and to ascertain how much chocolate is needed to help prevent heart problems.
The present study has been published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.