There have been a lot of studies recently touting the health benefits of chocolate. This week, just in time for Valentine’s Day the American Academy of Neurology released a report stating that eating chocolate may lower your risk of stroke. The report is actually an analysis of three studies conducted on the link between chocolate and the risk of stroke. Additionally, chocolate may lower the risk of death after suffering a stroke. The report will be presented at the Academy’s annual meeting in Toronto on April 10, 2010.
Chocolate is rich in antioxidents called flavonoids which may have a protective effect against stroke and lipid levels, but the Academy states that more research is needed. People who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 22 percent less likely to suffer a stroke, but it’s unclear why this is. It’s possible that people who eat chocolate are already healthier in general. This supposition seems counter intuitive so additional studies will be needed to determine the exact causes of the results. Dark chocolate is known to be higher in antioxidents, but the analysis did not specify a type of chocolate that was eaten by study participants. Regardless of whether you enjoy chocolate or not, monitoring your lipid levels is an important part of your health management. In the meantime, Happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy your chocolates!
