Regular use of dark chocolate may help lower heart and blood vessel inflammations, Italian researchers said.

“In an apparently healthy population, even a small reduction of a low-grade inflammation such as that associated in this study with regular consumption of dark chocolate might have clinically relevant benefits in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Romina di Giuseppe of Catholic University in Campobasso.

The inflammation was resolute by measuring levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for coronary artery disease (CAD), the researchers reported. Researchers hypothesized that people who eat dark chocolate regularly, which contains enormous antioxidants, might have lower CRP levels.

To investigate, they collect data of 4,849 healthy men and women who were participating in the Moli-sani Project. Among these, 1,317 people who had scarcely eaten any chocolate in the past, and 824 who use dark chocolate constantly. Most of them eat dark chocolate almost 5.7 grams each day.

CRP levels on average was 1.32 mg/L in participants who did not eat dark chocolate, compared to 1.10 mg/L in dark chocolate consumers. Dark chocolate consumers had healthier diets than those who didn’t. They were also younger and of higher social status, but less likely to exercise. Researchers adjusted other relevant factors, but the relationship between eating dark chocolate and lower CRP remained.

The CRP levels seen in the dark chocolate user corresponds to a “mild” risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas CRP levels in the non-consumers would be associated with “moderate” risk, researcher note.

The advantages were seen when people ate up to one 40-gram of dark chocolate in a week, but eating more chocolate wasn’t more beneficial. In fact, CRP levels starts to lower at higher consumption levels, the researchers found.

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