Eating chocolate may slightly lower your risk of stroke

ConclusionThis study used a large prospective cohort of English residents to estimate the risk chocolate poses to cardiovascular death and disease. In addition, they systematically combed the research literature for other similar studies, combining their results with that of other researchers. By comparing the highest chocolate consumers with chocolate abstainers, they found that chocolate was linked to a lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. The risk for coronary heart disease was not statistically significant. Results from the meta-analysis of eight additional studies showed higher chocolate consumption was linked with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease. Two studies showed cardiovascular events were not statistically linked with chocolate consumption.The biggest reservation for believing these results is the possible role of residual confounding, rightly highlighted by the study authors themselves. In the cohort study part, chocolate consumption was linked to a range of healthy qualities and behaviours, such as lower blood pressure and more physical activity. There is a real possibility that some of the benefits linked to chocolate are actually linked to the person being generally healthier in other ways. The researchers did their best to account for this using standard statistical techniques, but the possibility remains.This is just one explanation. Another is that the flavonoids in chocolate do benefit heart and b...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs Neurology Source Type: news