Woohoo! Chocolate is good for you, new study says.

[Jamastiene]

Chocolate improves blood vessel function: study

By Bill Berkrot 1 hour, 29 minutes ago

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Chocoholics were given further reason to rejoice on Saturday when a small clinical study showed that dark chocolate improves the function of blood vessels.

While the researchers cautioned against bingeing on bon bons, they said the findings of the trial were clear and called for larger such studies to confirm the results.

"In this sample of healthy adults, dark chocolate ingestion over a short period of time was shown to significantly improve (blood vessel) function," said Dr. Valentine Yanchou Njike of Yale Prevention Research Center, a co-investigator of the study.

The results, presented at the annual American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans, add to mounting evidence of the health benefits of dark chocolate.

During the six-week trial, 45 people were given 8 ounces (227 grams) of cocoa without sugar, cocoa with sugar or a placebo each day.

An upper arm artery's ability to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow -- known as flow mediated dilation (FMD) -- was measured using high-frequency ultrasound before and after daily cocoa or placebo consumption.

Of the 39 subjects who completed the trial, FMD improved significantly in both cocoa groups -- by 2.4 percent among those who had it without sugar and 1.5 percent among those who had it with sugar. It dropped 0.8 percent in the placebo group.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070324/hl_nm/heart_chocolate_dc;_ylt=A0SOwmB9swVGnpoACAvMWM0F

:woohoo: That's all the incentive I need. Actually, I don't need any incentive. I've used chocolate for everything from PMS to headaches and I already know it works somehow. Now, I just have an idea how it works. :woohoo:

Let's start having chocolate eating parties. :D

[reyd reid reed]

1. CHOCOLATE ORGY!!!!

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Jamastiene]

3. Sounds like a plan to me.

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Deja Q]

2. Who needs viagra to help out the blood vessels when dark chocolate will do!

Cheaper too! :D

[Jamastiene]

4. Amazingly great news, isn't it?

:woohoo: I'll be up all night now, munching on chocolate in celebration. I'll hit that moderation thing later, for now I'm :party:ing over this news.

[marzipanni]

5. Supply and demand

It is my vice, and now it isn't even a vice, it's medicine!!!
It looks like the price will be rising. I think I'll start a piggy bank for chocolate funds.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/WorldChocolateShortageAhead.aspx

[Jamastiene]

8. I know. I'm lucky for once for living in a rural area.

I've noticed our news is a day old at least by the time it hits the local paper. I gotta go to the grocery store tomorrow. I might just buy a 10 pack of Hershey's bars to head this thing off a little and get some while I can still afford it.

[RevCheesehead]

6. mmmfff. mmf mmmmm mm mmm mffff.

Sorry, my mouth was full. :9

[Jamastiene]

7. Hey, Rev, long time no see.

:hug: :pals: I sure have missed you lately.

Chocolate is soooo delicious. To think, doctors may actually finally let us have something to eat that tastes good. :woohoo:

[jgraz]

9. If that's true, I have the best functioning blood vessels in the world

Now we just need to show that ice cream is a health food and I'm set.