Ease Easter guilt: go for dark chocolate
Shopping for Easter eggs? Opt for dark chocolate and you could lower the risk of stroke and heart attack.
The lead-up to Easter means supermarket shelves are overflowing with a dazzling array of chocolate eggs and bunnies and the promise of calorific overindulgence. But if you opt for dark chocolate this Easter, that overindulgence does have some health benefits. Studies prove that consuming dark chocolate every day can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Researchers from Monash University recently examined the long-term health benefits of flavonoids, which are found in dark chocolate. They concluded regular consumption could lower the risk of stroke and heart attack, making it a pleasant preventive strategy for the 30 per cent of the Australian population at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Using a best-case scenario of 100 per cent compliance, the study authors predicted that eating dark chocolate every day could potentially prevent 70 non‑fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events per 10,000 people treated over 10 years.