Several studies have suggested that chocolate may protect the heart. A Swedish team identified 1169 nondiabetic patients who were hospitalized with initial nonfatal heart attacks. Detailed food histories for the preceding 12 months were completed by 86% of patients; participants were followed for an additional 8 years.

Compared with patients who never ate chocolate, those who ate chocolate less than once monthly suffered 27% less cardiac-related mortality; risk was 44% lower for weekly chocolate eaters and 66% lower for those who ate chocolate two or more times weekly. Consuming other sweets (e.g., cookies, cakes, ice cream) had no relation to cardiac mortality.

To me, the most interesting result of the study is that chocolate strongly protected against cardiac mortality but not against adverse cardiac events. The same finding has been reported for Omega-3 fatty acids, which suggests that the primary beneficial effect of both chocolate and Omega-3 fatty acids is in suppressing arrhythmias.

The bottom line: A moderate consumption of chocolate may help cardiac health.
1 | Left by Anon | Nov. 20, 2009 at 10:56am