Chocolate eaters may have healthier hearts: study

[Celebration]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40076292/ns/health/

Older women who eat more chocolate are less likely to develop heart problems over a nearly 10-year-period, new study findings report.

The authors found that women older than 70 who ate chocolate at least once per week were 35 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart disease over the course of the study, and nearly 60 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart failure.

What's nice, study author Dr. Joshua Lewis told Reuters Health, is that women did not have to eat a ton of chocolate to see benefits.

"We would therefore caution against people eating foods with high sugar and fat regularly and believe our findings support moderate rather than frequent chocolate consumption," said Lewis, based at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Australia.

[madrchsod]

1. thanks....i`m chocoholic

now i`m going to have to find some chocolat

[hlthe2b]

2. Unfortunately, the healthy kind is the dark, dark, dark kind...

which is inherently a bit bitter. Most Americans were "weaned" on milk chocolate, which has been shown not to be beneficial, as it is loaded with sugar and milk interferes with any absorption of antioxidants in chocolate.

So, sorry folks... it is the plain old dark chocolate sans most other high sugar flavor additives. I will still eat it occasionally, but it isn't like we've been given license to "live" off nutella... ;) LOL

[NV Whino]

3. I knew if I lived long enough

chocolate would be found to be good for you. Now I can die happy... but probably not from a heart attack.

[supernova]

4. There's lots of good things to eat with the dark chocolate

Chocolate fudge sauce. Chocolate pies, especially flourless ones. Mole sauce. Really good gourmet chocolates. You don't need a $$$ box, just a few pieces.

I eat the 70% and up straight off the bar now, but it does taste more like food, rather than a sweet.