London, August 29 : Here's good news for all chocolate lovers - a research has indicated that a daily dose of chocolate could slash the risk of developing heart disease by a third.

Scientists have known for some time that a small amount of cocoa-rich dark chocolate can be good for you because of its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

But now a review of seven previous studies has suggested that the benefits may be more widespread.

Researchers analysed the studies of more than 100,000 participants with and without existing heart disease.

For each study, they compared the group with the highest chocolate consumption against the group with the lowest consumption.

Five studies reported a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiovascular problems.

They found that the "highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37 per cent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 per cent reduction in stroke compared with lowest levels," reports the Daily Express.

Researcher Dr Oscar Franco, from the University of Cambridge, said just how eating chocolate affects your heart remains unclear. He said further studies were needed to test if chocolate causes the reduction or if it can be explained by some other factor.

The finding has been published online in the British Medical Journal. (ANI)