According to an article appearing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology women with the highest chocolate consumption, on average at least two candy bars per week had a twenty percent less likelihood of stroke.
The researchers studied nearly 35,000 women who did not have any medical history of stroke, heart disease, cancer or diabetes. The women were all between the ages of 49 and 83. The scientists studied over 350 different dietary and lifestyle indicators.
The scientists noted that cocoa, the primary ingredient in chocolate, contains flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. These suppress oxidation of low-density lipoprotein also known as 'bad' cholesterol that can cause cardiovascular disease including stroke.
"Chocolate has long been associated with positive attributes,"
The scientists reported that of the 33,000 study participants some 1,549 women had a stroke. Most of them, around 1,200, were reported as having an ischemic stroke which means the blood vessel in the brain is blocked. They noted that some 244 suffered from hemorrhagic strokes.
Each year, about 600,000 Americans experience their first stroke according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. "People who have had a mild stroke are five times more likely to have a stroke over the next two years than the general population,"
Financial planning experts note that most people wait too long to consider their options because the right time to plan is prior to turning age 65 before medical conditions like heart disease are diagnosed or become problematic. "The sweet spot for http://www.aaltci.org/
For more information on long term care insurance, visit the Association's Consumer Information center.
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The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance http://www.aaltci.org is a trade organization. The Association's Consumer Information Center is the #1 source for information and can be accessed at http://www.aaltci.org/
