Choc-Full Of Goodness - Chocolate Really Is Healthy

Here's some great news for chocoholics everywhere - scientists have found even more evidence that consuming chocolate is good for our health.
The health benefits of chocolate have been known for some time with studies indicating it can help protect against high blood pressure and cut the risk of diabetes. But now research scientists have unearthed evidence that it also helps protect people with high risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The research was conducted by a  team from universities in Melbourne, Australia. They used a mathematical model to predict the effects and cost effectiveness of eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day.
The team tested a sample of 2,013 individuals at high risk of heart disease because of a mix of problems  including raised blood pressure, obesity, high fat levels in the blood and an inability to control blood sugar levels. However, none of the sample, who were monitored over a decade, had a history of heart disease or diabetes and they were not on blood pressure drugs.
The results were spectacular and showed that daily consumption of 100g of dark chocolate could potentially avert 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events per 10,000 people treated over ten years. The results were published on the British Medical Journal's site bmj.com
It could be an effective cost-effective treatment, costing $37 a year per head of population.
The study found that milk or white chocolate does have not provide the same benefits. Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids which are known to have heart protecting effects.
Of course there are sceptics who argue that chocolate can't be a long term health treatment because its high calorie content will offset the benefits. But it adds strength to previous research that shows eating chocolate reduces blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of diabetes.