It is common knowledge that a person’s eating habits can directly affect their health. Some products, such as vegetables, have positive outcomes, and other products, such as fast food, have more negative effects. However, most products like chocolate can differently influence the human body. The impact of chocolate on one’s health depends on various factors such as age, regularity of intake, and the possibility of the development of diseases.
A way to better understand the effects of products like chocolate on the human body is by looking at research done by professionals. For example, Greenberg et al. (2018) studied the connection between chocolate intake and coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke risk considering age and chronic diseases. They used questionnaire-based data from postmenopausal women and suggested that the risk of the two mentioned conditions would decrease if people consumed more chocolate (Greenberg et al., 2018). A medium portion of chocolate was measured as 1 oz without a specified type, and statistical methods were based on Cox proportional hazards regression (Greenberg et al., 2018). The results concluded no “significant associations” between chocolate intake and the risk of stroke or CHD (Greenberg et al., 2018, p. 43). The study also found no correlation for women above 65 years old without pre-existing chronic disease and an inverse correlation for those with a condition (Greenberg et al., 2018). However, there was a positive association at higher intake levels for women younger than 65 years without a pre-existing chronic disease (Greenberg et al., 2018). The study gives some knowledge on the impact of chocolate.
To conclude, chocolate intake does not have a vital impact on the risk of CHD and stroke among women regardless of pre-existing chronic conditions, but the study found some differences between the age groups. There were some limitations, such as a relatively narrow age group and no specified types of chocolate. Overall, the study shows neither danger from chocolate intake nor benefits, so more research is needed.
References
Greenberg, J. A., Manson, J. E., Neuhouser, M. L., Tinker, L., Eaton, C., Johnson, K. C., & Shikany, J. M. (2018). Chocolate intake and heart disease and stroke in the Women’s Health Initiative: A prospective analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 108(1), 41–48. Web.