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A mere half a bar of dark chocolate each week protects the heart against inflammation and consequent heart disease. A study by the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso Italy, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan, found that 6.7 grams of dark chocolate each day was the idea amount to protect against inflammation.

Scientists know that heart disease is caused by inflammation, and keeping inflammation under control is a key to preventing cardiovascular disease. C-reactive protein is a marker for heart disease and is measured by a simple blood test.

Italian researchers studied 4,849 subjects in good health and free from risk factors such as cholesterol and high blood pressure. Of the group, 1,317 ate no chocolate, and 824 ate dark chocolate regularly.

“We started from the hypothesis,” said Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study, “that high amounts of antioxidants contained in the cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other kinds of polyphenols, might have beneficial effects on the inflammatory state. Our results have been absolutely encouraging: people having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced.”

Scientists said dark chocolate lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease one-third in women and one-fourth in men.

“We are talking of a moderate consumption,” said di Giuseppe. “The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts, the beneficial effect tends to disappear.”

“Maybe the time has come to reconsider the Mediterranean diet pyramid and take the dark chocolate off the basket of sweets considered to be bad for our health,” said Giovanni de Gaetano, director of the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University of Campobasso.

source:Newsmax Health