A healthy chocolate habit -- about two chocolate bars a week -- appears to help women reduce their risk of stroke, according to new research.
The new Swedish study echoes previous research in men and women. It also adds new information.
"The protection started at more than 45 grams [about 1.5 ounces] a week," says researcher Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The group eating the most chocolate got the most benefit, reducing stroke intake by 20%. In this group, the median intake (half ate more, half less) was about 2.3 ounces a week.
The research is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
While other studies have found a link between eating chocolate and reduced stroke risk, this research found a slight difference in protection, depending on type of stroke. Those who ate the most chocolate were protected a bit more from strokes caused by hemorrhage than strokes caused by obstruction such as blood clots. Larsson isn't sure why.
No comments:
Post a Comment