Sweet Study On Chocolate

The holidays are upon us, and chocolate treats are everywhere. But most of us believe that chocolate is bad for you.

Researchers from Harvard University, however, say that eating chocolate can actually help you live longer, reports CBS This Morning Health and Medical Contributor Dr. Emily Senay.

Their study examined the candy-eating habits of almost 8,000 men and found that those who ate chocolates lived longer. How can this be, you ask?

Doctors estimate it may be because chocolate contains antioxidant phenols: chemicals that are also found in red wine and have been shown to help lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

Chocolate's main ingredient, cocoa powder, is also thought to decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. But this doesn't mean that you can now eat all the chocolate you want. As with most good things in life, moderation is key.

The men in the study who lived longest ate candy an average of three times a month.

Many of the things in chocolate treats - sugar, butter, and fat - are harmful to yout health.

Reported by Dr. Emily Senay