A new study has examined and analyzed data from earlier studies which suggested that regular chocolate consumption may reduce the risk of strokes. Researchers have concluded that the evidence -- drawn from studies including up to 44,000 subjects -- supports this conclusion. People who eat the equivalent of a bar of chocolate a week are 22% less likely to have strokes that those who do not.
There are still some questions on the table, though. While it seems likely that the flavanoids in chocolate are the reason for this effect, the evidence is not that clear cut. No studies have isolated a chemical component and tested it in isolation. The evidence supports the conclusion that people who eat chocolate are less likely to have strokes -- but not that chocolate itself reduces strokes.
For example, researchers can't eliminate the possibility that people who enjoy life are both more likely to eat chocolate and less likely to have strokes. It could also be that eating chocolate makes people happier and more relaxed, and that being happier and more relaxed reduces the likelihood of strokes.
Until this question is resolved, it seems that the best advice is this: eat chocolate, be happy.
