Chocolate is good for your heart!! - Research evidence here

Before you get carried away with the heading and jog down to the sweet shop with a bag to buy lots of bars of Dairy Milk, Galaxy (and any other fantastic chocolate confectionery), you need to see this is still a treat. Read the evidence below.

Scientists have found that moderate consumption of chocolate - up to three bars monthly (I did tell you not to get too excited) - can cut a person's risk of heart failure by 13 per cent, compared with eating none at all.

Heart failure is a deadly condition that affects more than 900,000 Brits, causing swollen legs and breathlessness, There is no recognised cure, with many sufferers eventually needing a transplant or dying young. Researchers say that natural compounds in cocoa called flavonoids boost blood vessel health and help reduce inflammation

Before we all jump the gun, they do warn against having too much chocolate, with those indulging daily seeing their risk of heart failure increase by 17 per cent. So, it is a treat, not a habit.

Lead researcher Doctor Chayakrit Krittanawong, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said the popular treat was only healthy in small amounts. "Moderate dark chocolate consumption is good for health. However, some chocolate may have high levels of saturated fats."

The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich, are based on studies involving over 575,000 individuals.

HMHB says:  everything in moderation. It would be a very boring world if you decided never to eat chocolate again. Yes, dark chocolate is recognised as better than milk chocolate, but enjoy a treat now and then. Just remember, a healthy diet is better for you long term.