Official News page 9

REAL LIFE NEWS: SEE, I TOLD YOU CHOCOLATE WAS GOOD FOR YOU!

by Hazed

Great news. Dark chocolate can help to control cholesterol. Hooray! I'll head to the sweet shop now and stock up!

But wait... it seems this claim may be just a tad misleading.

Chocolate with high levels of cocoa solids is rich in polyphenols. Other studies suggest these can reduce the risk of heart disease. So scientists from Hull University tested the theory that they could influence cholesterol levels in diabetics. They found that when given bars rich in the substance, their cholesterol levels fell.

The problem is that there were only 12 volunteers, which is a very small sample for a medical study. In addition, critics point out that the high fat and sugar content of the chocolate would tend to outweigh the benefits.

Bother.

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