Could a bit of chocolate reduce stroke risks?

A recent study points to a potential good for chocolate fans. Canadian researchers have found a chocolate bar a week could help prevent strokes.

Researchers found that those who eat a bar a week of chocolate were 22 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who shunned the candy. Not only does it appear that those eating chocolate have less risk, when they did have a stroke they were 46 per cent less likely to die. The scientists studied 50,000 people to come up with their results. "More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others," said study author Sarah Sahib, BScCA, with McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in a press release. Sahib worked with Gustavo Saposnik, MD, MSc, on the study completed at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto. It is thought that the flavonoids, antioxidants that are in chocolate may protect people from strokes. Some doctors are worried though that their patients may use this research to justify overendulging their love of chocolate. "We already know that there are compounds found in chocolate, called flavonoids, that are thought to provide some protection from heart disease," said Libby Dowling, Care Adviser at Diabetes UK, "Nevertheless we certainly don't advise people to start eating a lot of chocolate, as it's very high in sugar and fat, and we always recommend that people with diabetes eat a diet low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables."