Despite being high in calories, chocolate might actually encourage lower levels of body fat, according to a recent study.
Researchers at the University of Granada, Spain measured the body fat of nearly 1,500 adolescents from around Europe between the ages of 12 and 17 years.
They found that regardless of their sex, age, diet and how much they exercised, subjects who ate lots of chocolate tended to be slimmer than those who did not. According to Magdalena Cuenca-Garcia, the study's lead author, this could be down to the fact that chocolate is rich in healthy flavonoids, especially catechins.
"These compounds have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease," she explained.
However, the researchers stressed that chocolate can still be unhealthy if not eaten in moderation.
"As they say, you can have too much of a good thing," they said.
