I can’t say the same for egg nog, fruit cake, sugar plums or figgy pudding, but if you indulge a bit this holiday season on dark chocolate, take heart.
Consuming a modest amount of dark chocolate – about one small square of it two or three times a week – is actually good for you, new research indicates.
Scientists had already determined that moderate amounts of dark chocolate have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.
But a new Italian study of thousands of men and women found that it also appears to markedly reduce levels of C-reactive protein – a measure of inflammation in the body that has been tied to heart disease.
“It is enough to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease for one third in women and one fourth in men,” said lead researcher Dr. Romina di Giuseppe in a written statement. “It is undoubtedly a remarkable outcome.”
Eating just a little bit of the bittersweet chocolate significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, researchers found.