Eating Chocolate Lowers Your Risk for Heart Attacks and Strokes

Reader Contribution by Susan Melgren and Web Editor
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I like to have dessert on a daily basis–and when I say dessert I really mean chocolate. It’s a good thing for me that chocolate has some health benefits!

new study found that eating one square of a 100 gram (3.5 oz) chocolate bar each day can lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by 39 percent. Previous studies on chocolate have shown that this delicious treat has other positive affects on heart health, such as lowering blood pressure and increasing good cholesterol.

Chocolate’s health benefits come from flavanols, a type of antioxidant. The darker the chocolate is, the higher its flavanol content will be. For maximum heart health benefits, pick a chocolate bar that is at least 70 percent cocoa content.

For a treat that’s sweet to both you and the earth, try organic chocolate bars and baking products from Dagoba Organic Chocolate. Photo Courtesy Dagoba Organic Chocolate.

Unfortunately for chocolate lovers, these heart health benefits came from eating only a very small quantity of chocolate, so remember to indulge in moderation. Fortunately, flavanols can be found in a number of other foods and beverages that we consume on a daily basis, including coffee, grapes, wine and tea.

For a treat that’s sweet to both you and the earth, pick fair trade and organic chocolates. What’s your favorite brand of chocolate?

  • Published on Apr 8, 2010
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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