Eating Chocolate Almost Every Day Keeps the Cardiologist Away

Women who ate chocolate frequently were less likely to be hospitalized for or to die from atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Cocoa, the principal ingredient in chocolate, is rich in flavonoids — and high flavonoid intake has been associated with lower risk for cardiovascular disease. To determine whether higher chocolate intake prevents cardiovascular disease, investigators in Australia followed 1216 older women (mean age, 75) for 9.5 years and compared atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) outcomes by self-reported chocolate intake (rarely: <1 25–50-gm serving weekly; frequently: ≥1 servings weekly). The Western Australian Data Linkage System was used to identify clinical atherosclerotic vascular outcomes, and carotid intimal thickness was assessed once by ultrasonography.

Almost half of the participants (48%) rarely ate chocolate, 36% ate it weekly, and 17% at…

Reviewing Author

Wendy S. Biggs, MD

Eating Chocolate Almost Every Day Keeps the Cardiologist Away

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Reviewing Author