Chocolate lovers’ dreams come true!

Eating chocolate in moderation may be key to losing body fat, according to a new study.

Sat flicking through the local news eating a Twix on my coffee break this morning, I wasn’t feeling particularly proud of myself or my wavering willpower – that’s until I stumbled across the findings from the latest study from a team of researchers at Granada University.

Are you ready for this? Chocolate can keep you slim. That’s right. Slim. Constant chocolate consumption is actually good for your figure. Hallelujah!

The study from Granada University’s Department of Medical Physiology in Spain, reported their findings in the new issue of Nutrition and backs up earlier findings from the University of California that suggested regular chocolate eaters have less body fat…

Researchers looked at more than 1,400 teenagers from 9 different European countries, and measured body fat, waist circumference, activity levels and diet. They found that the higher the teens’ chocolate intake, the lower the level of total body fat and particularly central and abdominal fat that the teens possessed – regardless of physical exercise or other health factors. The research did not differentiate between dark, milk or white chocolate.

The study also found that the notorious high-calorie diet-buster may also be good for the heart and circulation.

The study found that people eating 42.6g of chocolate a day had lower BMIs & higher energy levels than those consuming low amounts, 4.7g per day.

“Our results demonstrate that a higher chocolate consumption was associated with lower total and central fatness”, the authors from the University of Granada wrote after testing nearly 1,500 people.

Scientists aren’t yet sure just what it is about chocolate that helps people stay thin, though some think it has something to do with the flavonoids found in cocoa beans which may be responsible for the health benefits of chocolate. Also found in tea and red wine, they act as antioxidants which help to reduce an excess of cell-damaging free radical formations.

All hail the flavonoids!

Okay, so we might not all be teenagers anymore, but I don’t know about you, this is still all the excuse I need, and combined with last month’s discovery that a glass of wine a day helps to keep depression away I think I’m well on my way to being ‘thin’ and happy.

Here’s praying for the next study that proves eating biscuits increases life expectancy.