Chocolate Consumption May Help Women Lower Risk of Stroke, Study Says

Consuming chocolate may help women lower their stroke risk, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden looked at data from a 1997 mammography study that included information about the women's chocolate consumption, Reuters reported.

The 33,372 women in the study ranged in age from 49 to 83, Web MD reported.

Researchers saw during a follow-up that 1,549 women had a stroke, and those who consumed more chocolate were less likely to have had one.

The protection started at more than 45 grams a week, Susanna Larsson of the Institute's Division of Nutritional Epidemiology said, Web MD reported.

Still, this does not mean that women should consume enormous amounts of chocolate.

Given the observational design of the study, findings of this study cannot prove that it's chocolate that lowers the risk of stroke, Larsson said, Reuters reported.

Larsson also advises chocolate lovers to stick to healthier forms of the tasty treat.

Chocolate should be consumed in moderation as it is high in calories, fat and sugar, she said, Reuters reported. As dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate, consumption of dark chocolate would be more beneficial.

The study will be published this month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.