Google ‘health benefits of chocolate’ and you’ll be presented with some pretty eyebrow-raising research. From improving brain function to reducing wrinkles to boosting performance between the sheets, the sweet stuff is commonly considered a cure for all sorts of ailments.
But if you needed any more incentive to down the whole family block, this is officially it:
A new study has found that a regular intake of chocolate can significantly impact ticker health. Scientists collected data from more than 50,000 adults and found that consuming three store-bought bars a month reduces the risk of heart failure by 23 per cent.
“I believe that chocolate is an important dietary source of flavonoids which are associated with reducing inflammation and increasing good cholesterol,” the study’s lead researcher, Dr Chayakrit Krittanawong of the Icahn School of Medicine told The Telegraph.
Said flavanoids promote blood flow and circulation, while increasing nitric oxide levels in the body. That said, the old ‘everything in moderation’ rule still applies – too much chocolate was shown to increase the chances of developing the disease by 17 per cent.
“Chocolate may have high levels of saturated fats,” added Dr. Krittanawong. “I would say moderate dark chocolate consumption is good for health.”
Needless to say, this is us rn:
This article was originally published on Women’s Health
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