Researchers have discovered that those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.
Chocolate has shown favourable metabolic associations with blood pressure (BP), insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level.
Chocolate is rich in antioxidant phytonutrients like catechins that could contribute to favourable relationships of chocolate consumption to insulin sensitivity and blood prssure.
However, because chocolate is often consumed as a sweet and bears calories, there are concerns related to its intake. To evaluate this, the researchers examined the cross-sectional relationship of chocolate consumption frequency to BMI.
The scientists suggest that the benefits of modest frequent chocolate intake might extend to reduced fat deposition, potentially offsetting the added calories.
The findings come from a study of nearly 1,000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and BMI – a measure of obesity.
The study suggests that it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The study found no link with quantity consumed.
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
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