Delicious way to prevent strokes: eat chocolate regularly!
Added 07.04.2010
Chocolate has many health benefits
Chocolate, preferably unsweetened, pure cocoa is rich in protein, fats, calcium, iron, carotene, vitamins B1, B2 and C, chromium, zinc and magnesium. It is also laden with flavonoids, substances with high antioxidant activity. All these nutrients translate into a host of benefits for us:- Anti-depressive
- Cardiovascular health
- Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL)
- Increases insulin sensitivity
- Weight loss
Chocolate also prevents stroke
A new study - an analysis of several previous studies - to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto this year has found chocolate prevents stroke. Specifically, one serving of chocolate a week results in a 22% lowered risk of stroke. Also, people who eat 50 grams of chocolate a week have a 46% reduced risk of dying after suffering a stroke compared to people who do not eat chocolate. Researchers boil this effect down to chocolate's rich flavonoid and other antioxidants content.References:
Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:
This is yet another scientific study which shows us how beneficial it is to eat dark chocolate (containing at least 70 percent cocoa solids). The researchers present some very impressive data indicating that a daily intake of 50 grams of chocolate can reduce your risk of dying from stroke by 46% compared with non-chocolate eaters. We also know from several previous studies that cocoa reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and the risk of dying from a heart attack. However, the data comes from observational studies, which means that the researchers looked at one aspect of people's diet and then looked to see what happened to them, which is a scientific weakness of the study. But let us be positive and consider this study more good news for chocolate lovers!
