Chocolate consumption and risk of stroke:
Consumption of chocolate has been found to significantly reduce the risk of both ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in a large cohort study of women who ate a median of 66.5 grams per week of chocolate (42). In a large cohort study on men, a median intake of 62.9 grams of chocolate per week was associated with a decrease in risk of stroke by about 17% (43). Chocolate has also been noted to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease in subjects compared to others who did not consume chocolate (44). Cocoa is believed to improve blood flow by counteracting endothelial dysfunction by the action of flavonols which naturally occur in cocoa and possess antioxidant characteristics (45).