More Chocolate, Fewer Heart Attacks

If more people at high risk for cardiac disease ate dark chocolate daily, there might be fewer heart attacks and strokes. That conclusion comes from a team of Australian researchers who explored the long-term benefits of chocolate - already known to be heart protective - via a mathematical model. They based the model on more than 2,000 people who had high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome , a cluster of conditions associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. None of the participants was being treated for high blood pressure, and none had had a history of heart attack or diabetes. The investigators determined that if all the participants ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate (containing at least 60 percent cocoa solids) daily over 10 years, a total of 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events per 10,000 people could be avoided. If compliance with the chocolate prescription was 80 percent, 55 non-fatal and 10 fatal heart attacks or strokes per 10,000 people could be prevented over 10 years. The study was published online May 31, 2012 inthe British Medical Journal . My take? I’m a big fan of dark chocolate, especially high quality products from France, Belgium, Italy, Ecuador, and Venezuela, and find that a single piece is a satisfying snack or after-dinner treat. We know that dark chocolate can benefit the heart, but my concern with this preventive approach would be with the additional calories. The benefits would have to be balanced with risks of consumption, particularly by people who are already overweight or obese. To avoid weight gain, you would have to be on a healthy eating plan that limits daily calories in order to accommodate the 480 additionalones you would get from eating 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of dark chocolate daily.