Eating dark chocolate may keep heart healthy

Wanna bet?

"Eating dark chocolate regularly may help lower levels of inflammation, which is strongly associated with heart and blood vessel disease, Italian researchers report.

'In an apparently healthy population, even a small reduction of a low-grade inflammation such as that associated in this study with regular consumption of dark chocolate might have clinically relevant benefits in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease,' Dr. Romina di Giuseppe of Catholic University in Campobasso write in the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition."

"Might have...benefits."

They do not know.

But one thing is certain.

"The benefits were seen when people ate up to one 20-gram serving of dark chocolate every 3 days, but eating more chocolate wasn't more beneficial; in fact, effects on CRP levels 'tended to disappear' at higher consumption levels, the researchers found."

6.7 grams per day is less than 1/4 ounce.

Even if true, this small an amount will result in more inflammation from frustration at only eating less than 1/4 ounce of chocolate.