Volunteer To Eat Chocolate Every Day? Where Do I Sign Up?
It’s like a dream come true. Scientists from the University of East Anglia are looking for volunteers to eat chocolate every day for a year. I should sign up since I pretty much have chocolate every day anyway so it wouldn’t be that much of a change for me. I fit almost all the criteria…must be under 76 years old (check!), must not have had a period for at least one year (hmmm…never had a period, so check!) or be taking HRT (I don’t know what that is, so, check!). Also, must be a non-smoker (check!) and have been taking cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins for at least a year (dang! Made it all the way to the last one!).
These same people did a study before and those volunteers are about to return for a follow up to see if there were any health benefits, specifically looking at blood pressure and cholesterol. The thinking is that chocolate rich in flavonoid plant compounds found in cocoa and soy could help postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes fight off heart disease. A Belgian chocolatier has been used to create bars rich in flavonoids, and the test bars used in the clinical trials are said to have a “bitter” taste. Oh. I don’t have a choice of chocolates? Drat.