Chocolate is a girl’s best friend
Eating at least two chocolate bars per week reduces women’s risk of strokeAny sudden neurological problem caused by a bleed or a clot in a blood vessel. by 20% according to a survey of more than 33,000 women in Sweden.
Flavonoids, antioxidants found within cocoa (the levels of which are much higher in dark chocolate), have been shown to reduce high blood pressureThe pressure of blood within the arteries. and suppress bad cholesterolA substance present in many tissues and an important constituent of cell membranes although high concentrations of a certain type of cholesterol in the blood are unhealthy. (low-density lipoproteinOne of a group of compounds that consist of a protein combined with a lipid, and help to transport lipids in the blood and lymphatic system.), and are also thought to improve insulin resistanceA reduced response of the body to the hormone insulin, resulting in raised blood glucose levels..
The study, based on the Swedish Mammography Cohort, asked adult females to carry out a self-administered food questionnaire to assess their chocolate intake over a twelve month period. During the follow-up period over just over a decade, of the 1549 strokes the women who ate the most chocolate had the lowest risk of stroke by about 20%. Whilst this suggests that high chocolate consumption will reduce risk of heart disease it is important not to eat too much chocolate, especially milk chocolate, due to the high sugar, fatOne of the three main food constituents (with carbohydrate and protein), and the main form in which energy is stored in the body. and caffeine content. The researchers pointed out that the study cannot conclusively prove that chocolate lowers the risk of stroke and that over-consumption of chocolate, especially milk chocolate, can be counterproductive.
