The Benefits of Chocolate!

It's easy to see why this news story this morning quickly caught my eye: the word "chocolate" was in the headline.
The Associated Press is reporting today on a study published in the European Heart Journal that shows that a small amount of chocolate everyday can actually reduce a person's risk of heart problems. I can get on board with that!
We've heard for a while that a little dark chocolate may be helpful for your health, but this study is the first time that the effects of chocolate have been studied over a long period of time: researchers followed nearly 20,000 people over a period of 8 years, tracking their diet and exercise habits. Lo and behold - they found that those who had an average of about 6 grams of chocolate everyday had a 39 percent lower risk of either a heart attack or stroke.
Of course, more research is necessary to really understand the effects of chocolate on the body.
And, wisely, past president of the American Heart Association Dr. Robert Eckel warns that this study is "not a prescription to eat more chocolate" because the results are uncertain, and the fact is that if we ate chocolate everyday for the rest of our lives, we would gain weight.
But - if we really enjoy chocolate, really enjoying a small amount is definitely acceptable. :)