2 bars of chocolate a day keeps heart attack and stroke away

Some like it nutty, others prefer caramel but one thing is undeniable, no matter what additions are put in yourchocolate it’s bound to satisfy you. Chocolate is guilty pleasure which some of us simply can’t say no to. Whether it’s the smell that gets you or its creaminess, chocolate offers a number of sensations which just make us feel good.

Sadly, though, it often falls under the junk food category due to its sugar and fat content. So what are we supposed to do but limit our consumption of the good stuff. But maybe we can start to indulge a bit more in it as new research shows chocolate can actually offer us many benefits.

Is it possible that something so good can actually be healthy? Well it very much can be – in moderation of course. In fact, chocolate can be so good for us that it may lower our risk of heart attack and stroke!

Eat chocolate for heart health

The good news was recently published in the journal Heart where a long time study was conducted which looked at the chocolate consumption of males. Researchers from the United Kingdom had the participants fill out questionnaires based on lifestyle and food habits. In doing so they were able to uncover the men’s chocolate consumption and link it to their risk of heart attack and stroke.

Among the group, 20 percent of participants did not consume any chocolate. Those who did, on average, consumed seven grams of chocolate and a small amount of the men even consumed up to 100 grams – equivalent to about two chocolate bars.

The findings were as follows: The men who consumed higher amounts of chocolate had lower weight, healthier blood pressure, less cases of diabetes and were more physically active. These factors combined are all favorable in lowering the risk of heart attack.

In comparison to the group who did not consume chocolate, those who did had an 11 percent lower risk of heart attack and 23 percent lower risk of stroke.

Read more at http://www.belmarrahealth.com/chocolate-keeps-heart-attack-and-stroke-away/