Chocolate cuts diabetes, heart disease and stroke risk

Posted on Mon, 24 Oct 11

While you may have heard that chocolate is good for you, until now few studies have examined whether regularly eating chocolate actually protects you from real disease outcomes such as stroke or heart disease.  A new study has produced some appetizing results.

To see if regular chocolate consumption protects from heart and related diseases the data from seven large scale population studies were examined  (with a combined total of 114 009 participants).

Across the studies the highest levels of chocolate consumption was associated with a 37% reduction in heart disease, a 31% reduction in diabetes and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels.

The significance of this effect is “remarkable” commented Professor Johan Mackenbach in an accompanying editorial in same issue of the British Medical Journal (2).  Professor Mackenbach noted that if this effect is indeed correct then the benefits of chocolate would be as significant as other major lifestyle risk factors.

High calorie intake is a caution if you choose to eat chocolate regularly. Unfortunately the above study could not determine an optimal chocolate “dose” but consider that as little as 6.3 g (30 kcal) per day of high polyphenol dark chocolate has been shown to have beneficial effects (3). And that eating more than 40-50 grams may provide no additional health benefits (4).  Cocoa can of course be enjoyed in savoury cooking too.

References:

1. Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L,et al. Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2011 Aug 26;343:d4488. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d4488.

2. Mackenbach JP. The temptations of chocolate. BMJ. 2011 Sep 20;343:d5883. doi:  10.1136/bmj.d5883.

3. Taubert D, Roesen R, Lehmann C, Jung N, Schömig E. Effects of low habitual cocoa intake on blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007 Jul 4;298(1):49-60.

4. Almoosawi S, Fyfe L, Ho C, Al-Dujaili E. The effect of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate on fasting capillary whole blood glucose, total cholesterol, blood pressure and glucocorticoids in healthy overweight and obese subjects. Br J Nutr. 2010 Mar;103(6):842-50.