Partner Article

Medical study seeks women to eat chocolate

Scientists are looking for women prepared to eat a bar of chocolate every day for a year. Researchers at the University of East Anglia in Norwich need 150 volunteers, reports The Times.

The aim is to test the theory that chocolate can help women with type 2 diabetes ward off heart disease after menopause. Experts say flavonoids, plant compounds found in cocoa and soy, have been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors. In order to test this theory, diet specialists recruited a Belgian chocolatier to create bars rich in flavonoids.

The volunteers must be past the menopause, must suffer from type 2 diabetes, and must already be taking statins to reduce their cholesterol levels. They will also need the approval of their GPs.

Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, which is funding the trial, said: “We certainly don’t advise people to start eating a lot of chocolate as it’s very high in sugar and fat.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .