Chocolate & Afib

If you like chocolate (and who doesn’t?), here’s some good news: Eating chocolate has been linked to a lower risk of atrial fibrillation, the irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke, heart failure and other forms of heart disease. A Danish study followed 55,000 people aged 50 to 64 for 14 years and found more than 3000 cases of atrial fibrillation. After accounting for things like smoking and alcohol consumption, they found that those who ate modest amounts of chocolate had a reduced risk. And a little more was better than a little less. People who ate two to six one ounce servings a week reduced their risk by 20%, while those who ate only one to three one ounce servings a month had a 10 percent reduced risk. The study authors say dark chocolate with higher cocoa content is better, but they warn against overindulgence. Bottom line: You can’t have as much chocolate as you want. The study is published in the journal Heart.