Chocolate may be good for the heart but cardiologists are not giving you a licence to indulge, Reuters said. New research presented at Europe's biggest medical meeting on Monday suggested chocolate consumption might be associated with a one third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. Just why there should be such a link was unclear, the European Society of Cardiology congress was told. There has been a string of scientific studies in recent years showing a potential health benefit from eating chocolate. Dark chocolate, in particular, contains compounds called flavanols thought to be good for the blood system. Overall, the findings showed the highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels. -- SPA
