Mmm, chocolate

BBC News: Chocolate may cut heart disease.

Researchers have produced more evidence that dark chocolate may help to reduce the risk of serious heart disease.  They found eating a few squares a day may stave off artery narrowing and hardening in smokers by countering the disruption caused by their habit.  Smoking compromises the activity of both endothelial cells, which line the artery walls, and platelets, which are involved in blood clot formation.  The research, by University Hospital, Zurich, is published in Heart.  The researchers compared the effects of dark (74% cocoa solids) and white chocolate on the smoothness of blood flow in the arteries of 20 male smokers.

I love dark chocolate, and it loves me back.  The article says not to over-indulge because of the high fat content, that it is the antioxidants in dark chocolate that help blood flow, and that quitting smoking would help more than just eating chocolate.  To everyone that has given us English chocolate for Christmas, thank you very much!  It's good for us.