Chocolate has been getting a lot of attention lately from
doctors, fitness experts and athletes. It is not only delicious but it also seems to deliver
major heart health benefits. Could Godiva become tax deductible?
The latest good news comes from a report published in the
British Medical Journal. Researchers from Great Britain and Columbia studied previous
medical studies that involved chocolate and cardiovascular health. They
reviewed the results of seven studies, comprising over 114,000 participants.
They were able to correlate chocolate consumption with changes in long-term
health.
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of adult
death. Metabolic syndrome, a catch-all term for cardiovascular diseases and
type II diabetes, is thought to affect about 20% of adults today-+. Many of the
underlying drivers for metabolic syndrome are related to lifestyle factors,
such as diet and exercise. Clearly, anything that can improve these statistics
is a good thing.
Since “we are what we eat” it makes sense to study the
impact of various foods on our health. This study focused on chocolate
consumption, and attempted to eliminate other factors such as exercise, smoking
and other diet differences.
The group that ate a higher level of chocolate enjoyed a
33% lower risk of cardio-metabolic disorders. That broke down as a 37%
reduction in cardiovascular disease, a 31$ reduction in type II diabetes and a
29% reduction in stroke. The only area that was studied that did not show an
improvement was in heart failure.
This was not a perfect study. There has not yet been a
classic, double-blind study, where participants and researchers do not know
which pills contain chocolate and which pills contain a placebo. How would you
make a chocolate placebo, and would it be delicious? Without this level of
rigor, scientists are cautious when they report their results.
Eating chocolate also has some down side. Eating too much
chocolate can cause weight gain, a key driver for metabolic syndrome. Kind of
ironic, isn’t it? Moderation seems to be the key, striking the balance between
getting enough chocolate to help out without eating so much that you hurt
yourself.
So, is chocolate the answer? Cocoa products have been
eaten for hundreds of years, so it is unlikely that a new dangerous side effect
will be discovered. This study reinforces other research that seems to indicate
that chocolate in moderation has health benefits. Plus, it is delicious. Maybe
you should drizzle some over your fresh fruits at dinner tonight. It can’t
hurt!
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