First of all, Cardiacare will be the first
to tell you that excessive consumption of ANYTHING is a terrible idea,
especially sugary snacks. With that said, there are cases where a decadent
treat can have beneficial effects on the health of the individual. Chocolate
has long been debated in terms of healthcare and the general rule of thumb
favours intermittent enjoyment of pure dark chocolate and general avoidance of
novelty chocolate bars.
If dark chocolate makes you baulk and you’d
much rather have dairy milk then that may not be so bad according to a new
study by University of Aberdeen health experts. In a study which saw more than
20,000 middle aged and elderly people participate, the outcome indicated that
people who ate a “small bar a day” had an 11% decrease in risk of
cardiovascular disease and most surprising, a 23% lesser risk of stroke.How is
this possible?
Interestingly enough, the people surveyed
who did consume chocolate daily (up to 100g) “tended to be younger, have a
lower weight, waist to hip ratio, and blood pressure” alongside lower levels of
diabetes and increased physical productivity. If anything this means the people
who eat chocolate a more carefree, easy going and physically active
personalities while those who avoid chocolate altogether likely live quite an
idle, anxious life. This is of course just a blind assumption based on vague
figures but it’s an encouraging study which indicates that life’s little treats
can be enjoyed IN MODERATION.
To read more about this study you can take
a look at the original article here on BBC News.
For more information from Cardiacare please
like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
