One-Quarter Ounce of Dark Chocolate Daily Cuts Heart Risk
I’ve written about dark chocolate and its benefits to the heart, but I’ve never been able to ascertain the daily dosage. From Italy comes a study that suggests that 6.7 grams or about one-quarter of an ounce daily is sufficient.
Researchers at the University or Campobasso in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan enrolled 20,000 inhabitants of the Molise region for the study. They found that people having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood — a biomarker for inflammation.
They report that, “The 17 percent average reduction observed may appear quite small, but it is enough to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease for one-third in women and one-fourth in men.”
The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week, but beyond these amounts the beneficial effect tends to disappear.
So only a very small amount of dark chocolate daily will lower the risk of heart disease considerably.