Best views, weather, etc. How to test them 👓 SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored
NATION NOW
Heart disease

Chocolate habit may be good for the heart, study finds

Lori Grisham
USA TODAY Network
A new study found that habitual chocolate consumption is good for the heart.

Instead of fighting that chocolate craving, it might be time to indulge it, according to a study published Monday in the cardiology health journal Heart.

Researchers found that eating up to 3.5 ounces of chocolate every day was linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and stroke.

The study, which was funded by the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom and Cancer Research UK, tracked the health and eating habits of nearly 21,000 men and women.

"The calculations showed that compared with those who ate no chocolate, higher intake was linked to an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 25% lower risk of associated death," according to a statement fromHeart.

But more research is needed, according to Howard LeWine, the chief medical editor of the Harvard University health blog.

"We don't yet know enough to put eating chocolate on a par with eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains," he wrote on the university's blog.

LeWine reviewed the study and concluded that while the findings indicate an interesting link between cocoa and heart health, it doesn't prove cause and effect.

"It's possible that people who like to eat chocolate do something else that offers heart protection, like eat a wide variety of healthful foods," he wrote.

Follow@lagrishamon Twitter

Featured Weekly Ad