Bit of dark chocolate can save the heart

A MORSEL of dark chocolate a day could help prevent heart disease and diabetes, a study has found.

Compounds called flavanols in cocoa give a boost to levels of “good” cholesterol in the blood when eaten in tiny amounts.

Scientists looked at cardiometabolic health in 1,139 people who ate dark chocolate in 119 different trials.

They found that eating flavanols led to a short-term reduction in furred arteries, insulin resistance and inflammation of body tissues – all risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

Dr Simin Liu, director of the US Centre for Global Cardiometabolic Health at Brown University, Rhode Island, said his findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, show there is an “urgent need” for trials into how flavanols could help combat the killer diseases.

The experts said the trials did not look at the effect of white or milk chocolate and said their higher sugar content could outweigh potential health benefits.