A sweet discovery: cocoa may prevent hearing loss

CHOCOLATE may help to stop hearing loss.

Tests on nearly 4,000 people over the age of 40 showed that hearing loss rates were 26 per cent in chocolate consumers, but 36 per cent in those who did not indulge.

According to research reported in the journal Nutrients, chocolate eaters had a 17 per cent lower risk of hearing loss overall.

One theory proposed by the researchers at Seoul National University Hospital is that compounds called polyphenols found in cocoa beans have antiinflammatory properties which may give protection against hearing damage.