Chocoholics can rejoice as scientists have discovered that eating one type of chocolate each day could cut your risk of developing a deadly type of cancer.
Each year, more than 10,000 people in England alone are diagnosed with mouth cancer. And it is thought around 3,600 people die annually from the condition.
Over the past 10 years, there’s been a staggering 40 per cent increase in cases, placing mouth cancer as a more prevalent cause of death than traffic incidents, reports the Daily Mail.
Ground-breaking findings by researchers at Youjiang Medical University in Guangxi, China, suggest that dark chocolate packs a life-saving punch.
Consuming a daily portion of dark chocolate can reduce the risk of mouth cancer by an impressive 22 per cent.
The humble sweet pepper is also effective, boasting a 26 per cent risk reduction.
Involved in the study were 10,000 volunteers, out of whom roughly one-third were battling mouth cancer. They aimed to uncover any correlations between food types and mouth cancer risks.
As published in journal Frontiers In Nutrition, the scientists note: “Cocoa, the main ingredient in dark chocolate, contains a high percentage of methylxanthine compounds, mainly theobromine and caffeine.
“These substances are known for their potent antioxidant effects, aiding in the scavenging of free radicals, reducing DNA damage and oxidative stress, and thus potentially preventing cancer at its onset.”
A study published in the British Medical Journal has revealed that indulging in dark chocolate could slash the risk of type two diabetes by 21 per cent.
The researchers noted: “Increased consumption of dark, but not milk, chocolate was associated with lower risk of type two diabetes. Increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long term weight gain.”
