Tuesday, August 30, 2011

CHOCOLATE

Today I came across this article about how the people who eat the most chocolate on a regular basis reduce their relative risk for heart disease by one-third.

Now I am really picky about my chocolate. I don't like dark chocolate. I don't like milk chocolate in bar form. I don't like chocolate chips. I don't like chocolate ice cream. I do like brownies and chocolate cake as long as it's not too rich or decadent.

But now clearly I need to increase my chocolate intake. I need to have a chocolate bar with every meal. And chocolate milk as my drink. Then a chocolate cake for dessert. Then I need to buy an Oompa Loompa.

But!

"...the studies reviewed in this report were observational -- that is, they looked at data based on what people ate. Clinical trials, where chocolate is pitted against a placebo, are needed to see if the effect of chocolate is real, Fonarow said."

I am honestly curious about how they're going to do a trial of chocolate vs. a placebo. And if so, I really, really wouldn't want to be one of the people eating the sham chocolate.
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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 30, 2011 at 4:09 AM

    White chocolate? Sounds like a sham to me!

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  2. Grumpy, M.D.August 30, 2011 at 5:30 AM

    Sounds like more quality research from the "cell phones cause cancer" people. Rush inconclusive poorly studied results to attract lay press attention, and use a common food as bait.

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  3. HavenAugust 30, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    I'm thinking this is going to be like a chocolate milk vs. yoohoo study =)

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  4. UnknownAugust 30, 2011 at 8:28 AM

    wht next cold chocolate vs hot chocolate study... get a life :P

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  5. An optimist...August 30, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    shashi...I was just thinking that.

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  6. KylaAugust 30, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    My son heard this on the radio and used it as evidence that he needs more chocolate in his diet. LOL.

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  7. FizzyAugust 30, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    shashi: I think it all depends on how powerful the chocolate lobby is....

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  8. OMDGAugust 30, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    Grumpy -- Some of the cell phones cause cancer papers are actually pretty well done, FWIW.

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  9. CAugust 30, 2011 at 6:53 PM

    I read this article and sent it to all my friends because I would like it o be true, but I do not understand how the study group was selected- maybe the only people who fess up to eating lots of chocolate are relatively healthy and normal weight...and maybe people who scarf down 12 bars a day are embarrassed and lie. Also maybe some people die early and are not in the statistics...no matter what they eat.

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  10. DanAugust 31, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    Perhaps chocolate vs. a different yummy food? Chocolate vs. bacon? Man, wouldn't that be a tough one to choose between?

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