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January 7, 2006

Remember, its just a few squares per day

Researchers at the University Hospital of Zürich have linked small daily intakes of dark chocolate to improved vascular health:

"Only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health," the report's authors said. Researchers studied 20 male smokers, who are at greater risk of hardening arteries characteristic of coronary heart disease, to see the effects of dark and white chocolate on arterial blood flow.

A caveat is not to eat too much, as health benefits are seen only with small daily dosages. Participants in the Zürich study were given 40 grams of dark chocolate, containing 74% cocoa solids, each day of the study. The average chocolate bar is around 100 grams, so this limitation will require self-discipline from those who are more inclined to consume the whole bar in one sitting to eat just three to four chocolate squares. With larger amounts of dark chocolate, the impact of high calories and fat solids presumably starts to outweigh the vascular benefits. Milk and white chocolate showed no medical benefits.

Dark chocolate "good for the heart" from NZZ Online
Abstract from Heart Online [via BMJ Publishing]

Last updated on January 7, 2006 10:46 AM

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