Dark chocolate prevents heart attacks

Do you like chocolate? Is chocolate good for you? What’s the healthiest chocolate?

A new study found that if you eat chocolate at least twice a week could save your life from dying from a heart attack. Chocolate lovers, are 70% less likely to die from cardiac problems than those who rarely eat chocolate.

But which chocolate are we talking about here? All kind of chocolate? The study says no, you need only dark chocolate, not the high-fat and high-sugar milk chocolate.

Previous studies showed, dark chocolate is rich in disease-busting antioxidant called flavonoids, which prevent blood clots.

Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods. WebMD.com

But Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heath foundation said, “Dark chocolate does contain anti-oxidants, but we can all get the beneficial effects of anti-oxidants by eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and should keep chocolate as an occasional treat in a healthy, balanced diet.” WebMD

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. Indeed, a recent study conducted by researchers from London found that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of stroke by 25 percent. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. Healthcastle.com

While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate still is loaded with calories. If you’re going to eat more chocolate, you’ll have to cut back somewhere else. And remember that a balanced diet , plenty of exercise is still the key to heart health.

The study was conducted in Sweden by Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Sources: 1. Had a heart attack? Eating chocolate twice a week could save your life. Dailymail.co.uk

2. A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. WebMD.com