Moderate Chocolate Consumption Linked to Lower Risks of Heart Failure, Study Finds
Date: 9.9.2010
Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Women who ate an average of one to two servings of the high-quality chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of developing heart failure. Those who had one to three servings per month had a 26 percent lower risk. Those who consumed at least one serving daily or more didn't appear to benefit from a protective effect against heart failure.
In Sweden, even milk chocolate has a higher cocoa concentration than dark chocolate sold in the United States. Also, the average serving size for Swedish women in the study ranged from 19 grams among those 62 and older, to 30 grams among those 61 and younger. In contrast, the standard American portion size is 20 grams.
Original paper:
Elizabeth Mostofsky, Emily B. Levitan, Alicja Wolk, Murray A. Mittleman. Chocolate Intake and Incidence of Heart Failure: A Population-Based, Prospective Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Women. Circulation Heart Failure, 2010; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.110.944025
For more information:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100817161110.htm
