Jun 19, 2015 03:29 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research suggests that consuming chocolate every day could modestly lower heart disease and stroke risk, The Time Gazette reported.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen in England found that eating up to 100 g of chocolate daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11 percent and risk of stroke by 23 percent. It could also reduce mortality risk by 25 percent.

"People who want to eat chocolate should not be worried too much about their cardiovascular health," Dr. Phyo Myint, co-author of the study, told HealthDay. "We did not find any harmful effects of chocolate, if they want to enjoy chocolate now and again. The key is moderation."

For the study, the research team collected and analyzed data from nearly 21,000 adults taking part in the EPIC-Norfolk study. They also reviewed international published evidence on the links between chocolate and cardiovascular disease, involving nearly 158,000 people.

They found that higher levels of chocolate consumption were associated with younger age and lower weight (BMI), "waist: hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, inflammatory proteins," diabetes and more regular physical activity --all of which add up to a favorable cardiovascular disease risk profile, The Washington Post reported.

Researchers found that regularly eating chocolate was also associated with higher energy intake and a diet containing more fat and carbs and less protein and alcohol. It was also associated with a 9 percent lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result of coronary heart disease, after taking account of dietary factors.

"Cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events," researchers concluded.

These beneficial health effects extend to milk chocolate, which is considered to be less "healthy" than dark chocolate.

There doesn't seem to be any evidence for cutting out chocolate to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The findings are detailed in the journal Heart. 

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