Scientists to test if chocolate cuts diabetes heart disease risk in women

Scientists in Britain are calling for volunteers to test whether chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease in women with diabetes.

The scientists from the University of East Anglia are looking for 150 postmenopausal women under the age of 70, with type 2 diabetes, who will be expected to eat a bar of chocolate a day for a year.

The researchers will use a specially formulated form of chocolate made by a Belgian chocolatier, which contains more flavonoids than usual - cocoa is rich in flavonoids, which are thought to benefit the heart.

However many flavonoids are destroyed in the process of turning cocoa into chocolate.

The special chocolate will also contain soy which is another source of flavonoids and the experiment will test the theory that adding flavonoids to the diet may give added protection against heart disease on top of that provided by prescription drugs.

After the menopause deaths due to heart disease among women increase rapidly and having type 2 diabetes exacerbates that risk by another three-and-a-half times.

If the trial confirms the hypothesis then it could have a significant impact on the advice given to at-risk women it could mean people at high risk will be offered better protection, extra to that provided by conventional drugs.

Lead researcher Professor Aedin Cassidy says even though postmenopausal women have a similar risk to men for developing cardiovascular disease, to date they have been under-represented in clinical trials.

Professor Cassidy says they hope to show that adding flavonoids to the diet will provide additional protection from heart disease and give women the opportunity to take more control over reducing their risk of heart disease in the future.

The researchers aim to recruit women who have not had a period for at least a year, and who have been taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs for at least 12 months; the women will have their risk of heart disease assessed five times over the year.

Experts warn that people should not start eating a lot of chocolate as it is very high in sugar and fat and say people with diabetes should eat a diet low in fat, salt and sugar, with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The research is funded by the charity Diabetes UK, and is led by a team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, partnered by the Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre, Norfolk, Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and the Institute of Food Research (IFR).