Chocolate a day keeps doctor away

LONDON - A few squares of dark chocolate every day might cut the risk of serious heart disease by helping to stave off hardening of arteries, according to a study published yesterday.

Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich studied 20 male smokers, who are at greater risk of the hardened arteries that characterise coronary heart disease, to see how dark and white chocolate affected their arterial blood flow.

The men were asked to abstain from eating foods rich in antioxidants for 24 hours and were then given 40g of chocolate to eat.

Ultrasound scans after two hours showed that dark chocolate - made up of 74 per cent cocoa solids - significantly improved blood flow through their arteries. White chocolate, with 4 per cent cocoa, had no effect, the study published in Heart magazine said.

The researchers, who said further studies were needed, suggested possible benefits arose from the antioxidants in dark chocolate.

"Only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health," the report's authors said.

- REUTERS