CHOCOLATE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER STROKE RISK
According to the results of a Canadian analysis, higher flavonoid intake from chocolate sources may be associated with lower incident risk of stroke and stroke-related mortality. Sarah Sahib, BScCA, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, along with Gustavo Saposnik, MD, MSc, of St Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto evaluated 88 studies concerning the effects of flavonoids on stroke and mortality, from which 3 studies were selected. While one study found only an insignificant association between flavonoid intake and a reduced risk of stroke or mortality when 3 percent of catechin intake was derived from chocolate, another study revealed a 22 percent reduction in the risk of stroke in 44,489 subjects who consumed chocolate weekly compared to the risk associated with no weekly intake. In the third study, a 46 percent decrease in the risk of dying from stroke was associated with 50 grams of weekly chocolate consumption among 1,169 subjects. Dr Sahib acknowledged that more research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others. The research results are scheduled for presentation at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting to be held in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.