Chocolate can help lower your weight!

We can't help being cynical about these things - wine is good for you, then it's bad, then it's good; popcorn is healthy food, etc. etc. However, we like chocolate, so we could hardly pass up an opportunity to sing its praises. We've forgotten if it's an aphrodisiac or not and don't care anyway, but a new study from the University of California's Archives of Internal Medicine says that people who eat chocolate several times a week seem to have a lower body mass indicator (BMI) than those who do so only occasionally. The study covered 1,018 men and women in San Diego without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or high cholesterol, who took part in a clinical on the non-cardiological effects of statins.PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE but you can make a donation NOW, too! Please click here for more information on how to help us continue.

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To measure the consumption of chocolate, they had to answer a number of questions, including asking how many times they ate chocolate in a week. Researchers calculated the BMI of 972 of them. 975 completed the questionnaire on frequency of meals.

The average age of participants was 57, 68% were men, and the average BMI was 28. They ate chocolate on an average of twice a week and excercised an average of 3.6 times a week.

It was thus discovered that adults who eat chocolate more frequently presented lower BMIs than those who do se less frequently. The difference was not enormous, but the conclusion is that it is significant in that it can't be explained away as mere coincidence. What is more, the formers' intake of calories was grteater than the latters', and they did not exercise more.

This is not the first time research has led to the conclusion that chocolate might be healthy. Other scientific studies have suggested that it might be good for the heart. Certain types of chocolate have been linked to positive changes in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. And dark chocolate contains anti-oxidants that helps eliminate damaging free radicals.

Now there are several studies showing that some composite anti-oxidants found in dark chocolate lower weight in lab mice. Tests on humans are being prepared right now.

But put that slab down! The medical community warns that eating too much chocolate can be dangerous because it contains a lot of sugar and fat. If you want to follow a healthy diet, fruit and vegetables are much better for you.