Eating chocolate could be good for your heart, if not your waistline, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers at the U.K.’s University of Cambridge reviewed the results of seven different studies, including more than 100,000 people with and without heart disease. The study did not differentiate between dark and milk chocolate, and included consumption of chocolate bars, drinks, cookies and desserts.
Comparing chocoholics with those who did not eat much cocoa at all, they found that the "highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared with lowest levels."
Lead author Dr. Oscar Franco says that these results should be considered "with caution." The researchers are now looking at completing further studies to see if there are other factors involved.
Franco also notes that commercially-available chocolate tends to be high in calories, which can increase the risk of weight gain, heart disease and diabetes.