Good news chocoholics: Milk chocolate is healthy too

When a study comes out showing that chocolate is good for our health, chocolate lovers rejoice. Now a new study has more good news: Even milk chocolate qualifies.

The study in the British journal Heart tracked 20,000 participants for nearly 12 years. Its conclusion? A higher intake of chocolate reduced the risk of cardiovascular events: 11 percent lower for cardiovascular disease, and 25 percent lower for associated death. High intake of chocolate resulted in a 23 percent lower risk of stroke.

The bonus: Most of the participants ate milk chocolate, not the allegedly healthier dark chocolate.

In years past, the chocolate health studies have said:

• Dark chocolate (not milk or white) helps to lower blood pressure. Researchers tested this by having participants swap back and forth at 18-week intervals.

• It was the polyphenol antioxidants in cocoa that helped because of the antioxidants — there are more in chocolate than in red grapes, cranberries or blueberries. The polyphenols cause the blood vessels to open, lowering blood pressure.

• A study of men and women who'd had a heart attack showed that chocolate cut the risk of dying from heart problems by nearly 70 percent. Eating chocolate even once a week still cut the risk in half.

So while the new research isn't 100 percent certain in its conclusions, there appears to be something in chocolate that's good for us. While we wait for scientists to isolate what it is, ask your doctor if adding a bit of chocolate to your diet is a good idea — just in case. Also ask your doctor to suggest an amount, to err on the side of caution.

(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.