ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Men who ate the most chocolate died of heart disease at half the rate of those who did not eat the confection, Dutch researchers say.
Chocolate-eating men also had slightly lower blood pressure than their chocolate-free counterparts, the study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine concludes.
However, U.S. health experts greeted the latest chocolate study with caution.
"It's probably healthy to have a little dark chocolate if you're lean and trim," said American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Gerald Fletcher. "The problem is America's waistline."
"It's kind of like alcohol," the cardiologist told the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. "A little alcohol and chocolate in moderation are beneficial. Alcohol is more proven than chocolate. The chocolate data is not that well proven."
The University of South Florida's Paula Bickford recommended that people buy chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa to get the greatest health benefits.
