In The News: Chocolate and Healthy Arteries

Reader Contribution by Katie Priebe
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<p>Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! I have a huge sweet tooth and now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone I’m ready to dig into all the chocolate I was gifted. A new study suggests that chocolate (<em>Theobroma cacao</em>) consumption may help maintain healthy arteries. The antioxidants could keep you healthy. In the study, 2,217 individuals participated in food frequency questionnaires. The subjects were involved in the <a title=”National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Family Heart Study” href=”http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/143/12/1219.short” target=”_blank”>National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Family Heart Study</a>. In order to measure the results of this study, “healthy arteries were assessed by rate of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries.” </p>
<p>The subjects rated their chocolate consumption based on four categories: zero, one-serving per week, two-servings plus per week or one-to-three servings per month. </p>
<p>The study concluded that people who had one to three servings per month had a six percent reduced risk of Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC); people who had chocolate once per week had a 22 percent reduction in CAC; and people who ate chocolate at least twice per week had a 32 percent reduction in CAC.</p>
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<strong>Read More:</strong>
<a title=”” study=”” supports=”” chocolate=”” antioxidants=”” for=”” arterial=”” health.””=”” href=”http://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/news/study-supports-chocolate-antioxidants-arterial-health” target=”_blank”>Study Supports Chocolate Antioxidants For Arterial Health – Nutritional Outlook</a>
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<a title=”” in=”” the=”” news:=”” dark=”” chocolate=”” for=”” health.””=”” href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/in-the-news-dark-chocolate-for-health.aspx”>In the News: Dark Chocolate for Health – The Herb Companion</a>
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<a title=”” secret=”” ingredient:=”” recipe=”” for=”” a=”” healthy=”” chocolate=”” cake.””=”” href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/food-matters/secret-ingredient-recipe-for-a-healthy-chocolate-cake.aspx”>Secret Ingredient: Recipe for a Healthy Chocolate Cake – The Herb Companion</a>
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<p>Photo by EuroMagic/Courtesy of <a title=”Flickr” href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/euromagic/” target=”_blank”>Flickr</a>
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  • Published on Feb 14, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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