FED:Chocolate good for the heart: report

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2011
FED:Chocolate good for the heart: report

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By Belinda Tasker, AAP Medical Correspondent

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - Chocoholics will be licking their lips thanks to a new study showing
their favourite food could have even more health benefits than previously thought.

Researchers found that high levels of chocolate consumption could cut a person's chances
of developing heart problems by more than one third.

The findings follow previous studies touting chocolate's ability to reduce blood pressure,
improve brain function and lower cholesterol.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge reviewed seven studies to assess if eating
chocolate of any type reduced a person's risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders
including stroke and heart failure, as well as diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

More than 114,000 participants aged 25 to 93 from the United States, North America,
Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden munched their way through chocolate bars, drinks,
biscuits, desserts and nutritional supplements for the studies.

What the researchers found would bring a smile to any chocolate lover's face - people
who ate large amounts of the sweet treat were 37 per cent less likely to have heart problems.

"We found that high chocolate consumption was associated with about a third decrease
in the risk of cardiometabolic disorders - 37 per cent in the case of any cardiovascular
disease and 29 per cent in the case of stroke prevention," the researchers said.

No significant links were found between chocolate and heart failure.

One study, however, pointed to a 31 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes among
Japanese chocolate eaters.

The researchers said chocolate's health benefits seemed to be linked to the high amounts
of polyphenols in its key ingredient, cocoa.

Polyphenols are a type of chemical which act as antioxidants and protect healthy cells
from being damaged.

But before chocolate lovers reach for another family block, the researchers warned
their findings were no reason to overindulge.

Noting the high number of calories and fat in chocolate, they said if people ate too
much chocolate they risked putting on weight which in turn could cause heart problems.

Their warning was echoed by the Dieticians Association of Australia (DAA) and the National
Heart Foundation of Australia.

DAA spokeswoman Julie Gilbert people should limit themselves to 20 grams or four small
squares of chocolate a day.

"We don't know why it's so good for our heart and there's more research to do," she said.

"But for some people it makes them feel good and that's an important thing because
it may stop them from over-eating other things that contribute to weight gain like takeaways
or doughnuts."

The Heart Foundation's healthy weight director Susan Anderson said there were better
ways to keep your heart healthy than eating chocolate.

"The best way to get enough antioxidants is to eat a variety of plant based foods,
such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrain breads and cereals as well as nuts and
seeds every day," she said.

The study was to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris on Monday.

It was also published online by the British Medical Journal.

AAP bt/it

KEYWORD: CHOCOLATE (EMBARGOED)

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