New Evidence Proves Chocolate Is a Life Saver!

In one of those health and nutrition stories that make you think “when are they going to tell us to start smoking because it’s beneficial”, Chocoholics around the world can quite literally take heart from research that shows chocolate can help you live longer.According to US research, people who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times a month live almost a year longer than those who eat a lot or those who steer clear of the stuff altogether.Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health studied almost 8,000 American men aged 65 for a five-year period. The results were adjusted for other risk factors such as smoking.

Chocolate, which was the obsession of the Aztecs and was brought to Europe after the Conquistadors’ conquest of South America.Chocolate is big business with a global market value of around $75 billion, so this research is excellent news for the manufacturers.

It’s great news too for the British, who consume on average 14 kilograms per person of sugar confectionery each year. OK, that’s not just chocolate bars, but includes chocolate biscuits, Jaffa cakes, Easter Eggs etc.In contrast, and not as you would have thought given their reputation for obesity, the average American only eats around 6.5 kilograms of the stuff in the same time period.

Although the test included both chocolate and sweets, the researchers believe chocolate is the key life extender because it contains substances that protect against heart disease and cancer. Chocolate, like red wine, is believed to contain chemicals called phenols. These can also be found in strawberries, and is why people first started putting them in champagne flutes as they counteract the harmful effects of alchol. They reduce free radicals that cause damage to cells and DNA. The process of chocolate making from the cacao plant may also restrict the formation of the type of cholesterol which damages the heart as well as boosting the immune system.

However, as most food books will tell you, chocolate is high in calories and eating too much can make you fat, thereby actually increasing your risk of heart disease. So the startling truth, as with all these medical/diet/nutrition scare stories, appears to be “moderation in everything” is the key to a long and happy life. For crystal vases and the very highest quality glass vases visit Forever Crystal.