Consuming up to 100g of chocolate per day has now been linked to a lower risk of stroke and heart disease.
There is certainly no evidence that cutting out chocolate helps lower the risk of heart disease.
The findings come from an English study which tracked 21,000 people.
The researchers also reviewed studies which included almost 158,000 people.
Daily chocolate consumption ranged from nothing up to 100g.
The study found that compared to eating no chocolate, those who ate some had an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Even at the highest levels of intake, the risk of stroke was reduced by 23%.
The study’s authors write:
“Cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events.
There does not appear to be any evidence to say that chocolate should be avoided in those who are concerned about cardiovascular risk.”
The study was published in the journal Heart (Kwok et al., 2015).
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