According to a study, one should have chocolates instead of avoiding them. The study was published in the cardiology health journal Heart.

It has been found by researchers that eating up to 3.5 ounces of chocolate every day was associated with a lowered risk of heart disease and stroke. Health and eating habits of approximately 21,000 men and women were tracked by researchers in the study.

According to a statement from Heart, it was shown in the calculations that higher intake of chocolate was associated with an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 25% lower risk of associated death compared to those who didn't have it.

But more research is needed, According to Howard LeWine, the chief medical editor of the Harvard University health blog, additional research is required. As per LeWine, "We don't yet know enough to put eating chocolate on a par with eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's possible that people who like to eat chocolate do something else that offers heart protection, like eat a wide variety of healthful foods".

The study was reviewed by LeWine and he concluded that although the findings show an interesting association between cocoa and heart health, it doesn't confirm cause and effect.

The study is related to evidence according to which, the bioactive plant compounds found in cocoa beans, called polyphenols, could assist in protecting against heart disease. According to Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, it seems that polyphenols help improve the health of blood vessels.