Thousands of people already love chocolate for its taste, but researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that this indulgence may also have a health benefit. In a study published Aug. 29 in the British Medical Journal, authors concluded that higher levels of chocolate consumption are associated with a one-third decrease in cardiovascular disease. Chocolate lovers should be aware of the science behind the study before they rejoice, however.
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, nearly 23.6 million people will die from cardiovascular disease each year, keeping cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death. Tobacco use; diets high in salt, saturated fats and cholesterol; and physical inactivity are all risk factors for increased cardiovascular disease. Dr. Jamie Kennedy, a cardiology fellow at the University Health System, explained that lifestyle choices are important to reduce one's risk of cardiovascular disease. Kennedy suggested exercising at least five days a week for 30 minutes each day at a level which causes one to break a sweat, trying to get a good night's sleep as often as one can and maintaining a heart-healthy diet. "I recommend people eat lots of fruits and vegetables, choose lean cuts of meat and choose whole grain breads," he said, giving no mention to any sort of dessert.
So, how might chocolate help cardiovascular disease? Julia Halterman, a pharmacology doctoral student working in the University's Cardiovascular Research Center, explained that cardiovascular disease is primarily caused by a build-up of plaque in your arteries. This build-up produces a molecule called reactive oxygen species, which damages the arteries and other tissues of the cardiovascular system. "Polyphenols are natural compounds found in red wine, chocolate, and green tea that contain antioxidants that can serve to combat the harmful effects of the reactive oxygen species production," Halterman said, explaining the connection between chocolate and caridovascular disease prevention. The cocoa in chocolate contains the beneficial antioxidants.
But before you run out to buy all the chocolate from the local grocery stores, you should be aware of a few other pieces of information. The study presented in the journal looked at scientific literature published between June and October 2010 which evaluated the association between chocolate consumption and cardiovascular disease in adults presented in these studies. This collection of data is a statistical technique called a meta-analysis.
Assoc. Medical School Prof. Jennie Ma said a meta-analysis can be beneficial because it offers a precise estimate of overall treatment effect from independent studies and allows us to find trends across multiple studies. She also cautioned that "publication bias" is a major challenge for meta-analysis, however. Since only statistically significant results tend to get published, researchers must search thoroughly for unpublished results. The researchers at Cambridge only considered seven published studies for the basis of their analysis.
If you are a chocolate lover, you may not mind the uncertainty in the data and think it is worth a little extra indulgence for the sake of potentially keeping your heart healthy. But Kennedy recommended "everything in moderation." A small piece of chocolate, which Kennedy defined as two to four ounces or about 200 calories, for dessert a few days a week may be beneficial, but "putting chocolate syrup on top of a slice of cheesecake probably isn't helpful." Additionally, Kennedy advised that you should always try to choose the less processed option when possible: an apple instead of applesauce or dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. While dark chocolate contains less milk and sugar, which contribute to higher amounts of fat and calories, it also contains more cocoa, meaning more of the antioxidants which could help keep your heart healthy.
Researchers have conducted numerous studies to investigate the benefits of polyphenols related to cardiovascular disease in the past few years, but even after this latest study, the results remain unclear. Although the recent study indicates potential benefits of chocolate consumption on cardiovascular disease, more research is needed to fully understand how antioxidants might prevent cardiovascular disease and future studies need to have better controls to make significant conclusions. "In the meantime," Halterman suggests, "feel free to treat yourself to some chocolate or red wine, because research can sometimes take a while"
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