Can chocolate prevent heart disease in postmenopausal women?

Scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK are carrying out a study to see if chocolate can reduce the risk of developing heart disease in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes.
Chocolate is made out of cocoa which is rich in substances called flavonoids which are thought to be good for the heart. Unfortunately, the process of making chocolate removes a large amount of flavonoids from the cocoa. To make up for this, a special type of chocolate in which much of the flavonoids have been retained will be used for the study. Soybeans which is also rich in flavonoids will be added to the chocolate. The women taking part in the study will be asked to eat a bar of chocolate every day for a year.
After menopause, women’s heart disease risk increases and equals that of men. However, more studies are carried out in men than in women. In addition, having diabetes increases the risk of developing heart disease three-fold.
It is hoped that an increased intake of flavonoids coupled with the use of medication can reduce the risk of heart disease in vulnerable women.

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