Adding chocolate to a healthy diet 'may have benefits'
When it comes to eating chocolate, Cassidy said it is all about eating small amounts of the right chocolate in order to see health benefits.
She noted that in clinical trials, consuming chocolate made especially for the trials, which contained 50 mg of flavonoids, "reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and helped keep arteries healthy and flexible."
Flavonoids found in certain foods, including chocolate, wine and berries, may protect against type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
"In general, dark chocolate contains more of the powerful bioactive compounds, and addition of a small amount of chocolate to an otherwise healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables could be important for prevention efforts to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes," Cassidy added.
Prof. Tim Spector, of King's College London and co-author of the study, notes that this is an "exciting finding that shows that some components of foods that we consider unhealthy like chocolate or wine may contain some beneficial substances."
Cassidy told Medical News Today that they have just started to recruit participants for a large trial to determine the effects of berries on the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
If you live in the UK, are aged between 50 and 75 years and are in good general health, you can apply to be a part of the trial by contacting the University of East Anglia.
Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that teenagers who consume high amounts of chocolate tend to be slimmer, while another study suggests that drinking a glass of wine each day may help stave off depression.