A new report from Sweden suggests that consuming chocolate can help lower the risk of stroke in men. Researchers at the famed Karolinska Institute asked 37,103 men aged 49 to 75 about their eating habits, including how much chocolate they enjoy. Over the following decade 1,995 of the men participating in the study experienced a first stroke.
Looking back at the information the men provided about their diets, the researchers found that those who had reported eating the most chocolate – a little more than two ounces per week – were at the lowest risk of stroke. In addition, after reviewing the results of five other studies, the researchers reported that the overall risk of stroke was 19 percent lower among men who ate the most chocolate compared to those who never ate chocolate.
The amount of chocolate associated with the lower stroke risk amounted to about a quarter cup of chocolate chips per week. And the researchers reported that for every increase in chocolate consumption of 50 grams (nearly two ounces) per week, the risk of stroke decreased by about 14 percent.
While interesting, the results of the new study show only an association between chocolate consumption and stroke protection, not cause and effect. The researchers also noted that about 90 percent of the chocolate consumed in Sweden is milk chocolate, not the dark chocolate that has been associated with heart health benefits in other studies.
