Chocolate can be good for women's hearts, say researchers

Study of women aged 48-83 finds moderate consumption of chocolate with high-cocoa content lowered heart failure risk

One or two 19g-30g servings of dark chocolate a week led to a 32% reduction in risk of heart failure, says the study. Photograph: Howard Shooter/Getty Images

An occasional chocolate treat can help prevent heart failure in older women, research suggests.

One or two servings of good-quality chocolate a week reduced the risk of middle-aged and elderly women developing the condition by almost a third, a study found.

Scientists studied almost 32,000 Swedish women aged 48 to 83.

Moderate chocolate consumption significantly reduced heart failure risk, but the protective effect lessened as more or less was eaten.

One or two 19g to 30g servings a week led to a 32% risk reduction. This fell to 26% when one to three servings a month were eaten, while one serving a day or more showed no benefit.

A typical chocolate bar weighs around 100 grams, but the amount of healthy cocoa solids it contains varies greatly.

Dark chocolate can contain as much as 75% cocoa while standard milk chocolate may have 20% or less.

Antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids in cocoa are believed to protect against heart disease and high blood pressure.

The study authors pointed out that chocolate eaten in Sweden tends to have a high cocoa content.

Although 90% of chocolate consumed in the country is milk chocolate, it consists of around 30% cocoa solids.

The lack of benefit from eating chocolate every day was probably due to the extra number of calories consumed, said the researchers.

This in turn could lead to increased weight and higher blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart failure.

"You can't ignore that chocolate is a relatively calorie-dense food and large amounts of habitual consumption is going to raise your risks for weight gain.

"But if you're going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it's in moderation, " said study leader Dr Murray Mittleman, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, US.