NASHVILLE, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Healthy, loving relationships do the heart good, but so do chocolate and wine, a U.S. cardiologist says.
Dr. Julie Damp of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute says most people who are married or who are in close, healthy relationships tend to be less likely to smoke, are more physically active and are more likely to have a well-developed social structure -- and as a result have lower levels of stress and anxiety.
"There is a theory -- unproven -- that people who are in loving relationships may experience neuro-hormonal changes that have positive effects on the body, including the cardiovascular system," Damp says in a statement.
However, giving a box of dark chocolates and a bottle of red wine to your loved one -- or yourself -- won't hurt either, Damp says. Studies show both are good for the heart.
Dark chocolate -- the darker the better -- contains flavonoids, antioxidants, which have positive effects on many different body systems including the cardiovascular system.
Flavonoids are also present in red wine and moderate alcohol consumption -- not more than one drink a day for women and one to two for men -- is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.
