A US survey of more than 1000 adults, published as a research letter in the Archives on Internal Medicine, reinforces the notion that chocolate packs heart-healthy benefits, despite high calorie and sugar content.
People in the study reported eating chocolate an average of twice a week and exercising an average of 3.6 times a week. Their average age was 57.
Those who said they ate chocolate more often than the norm tended to have a lower ratio of weight over height, a calculation made by taking a person's weight and dividing it by their height times two.
''Adults who consumed chocolate more frequently had a lower BMI [body mass index] than those who consumed chocolate less often,'' said the study led by Beatrice Golomb at the University of California, San Diego. ''Our findings - that more frequent chocolate intake is linked to lower BMI - are intriguing,'' it added.
While the research stopped short of establishing a reasonable or beneficial limit for chocolate-eating, experts urged moderation.
''Before you start eating a chocolate bar a day to keep the doctor away, remember that it can contain over 200 calories which mostly come from saturated fats and sugar,'' said Nancy Copperman, director of Public Health Initiatives at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York.
Chocolate's benefits come from antioxidant polyphenols, which can improve blood pressure and help lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Other studies have even linked chocolate to a lower risk of heart attack.
Chocolate's curious ability to improve heart health is usually considered part of a lifestyle that includes exercise and moderation in diet, according to Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
''We have seen in studies the benefits of chocolate, and yet again, we see as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, chocolate does not add to weight gain, but in fact, might help control it,'' she said.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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