<p>What do we know already? <br /></p>.<p>Every now and then, stories surface about chocolate being good for you in one way or another. The reason is that dark chocolate (usually described as containing at least 70 per cent cocoa solids) contains plant pigments called flavonoids, which have been linked to health benefits. These include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attacks and strokes) or cancer. Chocolate is not the only source of flavonoids. Most plants contain some flavonoids, and good sources are tea, citrus fruit and red wine. <br /><br />There have been a number of studies looking to see if regular consumption of dark chocolate can reduce your risk of certain illnesses. Now researchers have gathered together the studies on dark chocolate and stroke, to calculate the overall results. <br /><br />What does the new study say?<br />The researchers found just three studies looking at chocolate and stroke that met their quality criteria. One of the studies found that flavonoids from chocolate made no difference to stroke risk. The other two found that eating small amounts of dark chocolate each week was linked to a 20 per cent to 45 per cent reduced risk of having a stroke. <br /><br />How reliable are the findings? <br />The studies in the review were all observational studies, which means they looked at one aspect of people’s diet and then looked to see what happened to them. That means we can’t tell for sure whether eating chocolate was what really made a difference. For example, people who ate dark chocolate regularly might be doing so because they’d heard it was healthy. That suggests they are interested in their health, so they might also be more likely to exercise and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and less likely to smoke. It’s likely that their overall lifestyle would have a bigger effect than eating a small amount of dark chocolate. <br /><br />Where does the study come from?<br />The review is to be presented to the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto. It was carried out by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. <br /><br />What does this mean for me? <br />This study is a good example of why it’s best to be sceptical of stories about the health benefits of particular foods. It’s rarely possible to isolate the benefits of a single food from people’s overall lifestyle. Other, more complicated studies (called randomised controlled trials) are needed to prove that a particular treatment can have a particular effect, rather than it simply being a coincidence, or a sign of a healthy lifestyle overall. <br /><br />What should I do now? <br />Eating a small amount of dark chocolate is unlikely to cause any harm. But it’s also unlikely to make a great deal of difference to your risk of a stroke, especially if your overall lifestyle is unhealthy. If you want to reduce your risk of having a stroke, you need to make sure your blood pressure isn’t too high. Measures to prevent stroke include not smoking, eating a low-salt diet, taking regular exercise, and keeping to a healthy weight. It’s a bit more complicated than eating chocolate. <br /></p>
<p>What do we know already? <br /></p>.<p>Every now and then, stories surface about chocolate being good for you in one way or another. The reason is that dark chocolate (usually described as containing at least 70 per cent cocoa solids) contains plant pigments called flavonoids, which have been linked to health benefits. These include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attacks and strokes) or cancer. Chocolate is not the only source of flavonoids. Most plants contain some flavonoids, and good sources are tea, citrus fruit and red wine. <br /><br />There have been a number of studies looking to see if regular consumption of dark chocolate can reduce your risk of certain illnesses. Now researchers have gathered together the studies on dark chocolate and stroke, to calculate the overall results. <br /><br />What does the new study say?<br />The researchers found just three studies looking at chocolate and stroke that met their quality criteria. One of the studies found that flavonoids from chocolate made no difference to stroke risk. The other two found that eating small amounts of dark chocolate each week was linked to a 20 per cent to 45 per cent reduced risk of having a stroke. <br /><br />How reliable are the findings? <br />The studies in the review were all observational studies, which means they looked at one aspect of people’s diet and then looked to see what happened to them. That means we can’t tell for sure whether eating chocolate was what really made a difference. For example, people who ate dark chocolate regularly might be doing so because they’d heard it was healthy. That suggests they are interested in their health, so they might also be more likely to exercise and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and less likely to smoke. It’s likely that their overall lifestyle would have a bigger effect than eating a small amount of dark chocolate. <br /><br />Where does the study come from?<br />The review is to be presented to the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto. It was carried out by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. <br /><br />What does this mean for me? <br />This study is a good example of why it’s best to be sceptical of stories about the health benefits of particular foods. It’s rarely possible to isolate the benefits of a single food from people’s overall lifestyle. Other, more complicated studies (called randomised controlled trials) are needed to prove that a particular treatment can have a particular effect, rather than it simply being a coincidence, or a sign of a healthy lifestyle overall. <br /><br />What should I do now? <br />Eating a small amount of dark chocolate is unlikely to cause any harm. But it’s also unlikely to make a great deal of difference to your risk of a stroke, especially if your overall lifestyle is unhealthy. If you want to reduce your risk of having a stroke, you need to make sure your blood pressure isn’t too high. Measures to prevent stroke include not smoking, eating a low-salt diet, taking regular exercise, and keeping to a healthy weight. It’s a bit more complicated than eating chocolate. <br /></p>
