Consuming High Levels Of Chocolate Is Associated With A Reduced Risk Of Heart Disease

British and Colombian researchers who looked at seven studies involving 100,000 people have found that consuming high levels of chocolate was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease. The studies did not differentiate between dark or milk chocolate, and included consumption of chocolate bars, drinks, biscuits and desserts. But the researchers offered several caveats to their findings. More studies are needed to find out whether chocolate actually caused the reduction in heart disease risk or if some other unmeasured factor was involved. And they cautioned that commercially available chocolate is loaded with calories – around 500 calories for every 100 grams – and eating too much can cause weight gain, boosting  the risk of diabetes and heart disease.