Can Eating Chocolate Lower The Risk Of Stroke?

KYW Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As if we need another good excuse to eat chocolate, Swedish researchers found that women who ate a moderate amount of dark chocolate on a regular basis, lowered the risk of two types of strokes by 20 percent.

Before you go out and buy boxes of candy there is a key piece of advice: the key is moderation. This study followed many others where the protective amount was two candy bars a week. The scientists suspect it's the cocoa content, specifically in dark chocolate that does the trick.

It is worth noting that Swedish chocolate is made with a higher cocoa content than American chocolate and the results may not translate to the U.S. unless this high quality chocolate is consumed.