Eating dark chocolate every day for 10 years could reduce the incidence of such cardiovascular events as heart attacks and strokes in those with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, according to an Australian study.
The investigators developed a mathematical model to predict the health effects and cost effectiveness of daily dark chocolate consumption over 10 years. They performed a meta-analysis of several studies involving 2,013 people with high blood pressure and who met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
Cardioprotective effects have only been demonstrated for dark chocolate (defined as containing at least 60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), and not for milk or white chocolate.
Study participants had no history of heart disease or diabetes and were not on medication to lower their blood pressure.
The researchers showed that, when study participants ate dark chocolate faithfully every day, daily dark chocolate consumption could prevent 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events per 10,000 people treated over 10 years.
Even when they ate dark chocolate only eight out of every 10 days, the number of cardiovascular events prevented was 55 and 10 per 10,000 people treated over 10 years, and so could still be considered an effective intervention strategy.
Simply spending about $42 per person per year on prevention strategies involving dark chocolate consumption, including advertising, educational campaigns, or subsidizing the purchase of dark chocolate in high-risk populations, could, according to their model, produce a solid health benefit, the scientists said.