2009-07-24 03:35:25
Thu Jul 23, 10:55 am ET
LONDON (AFP) Scientists are looking for women willing to eat chocolate every
day for a year -- all in the name of medical science.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia and a hospital in Norwich, eastern
England are trying to find out whether chocolate can cut the risk of heart
disease and need 40 women to step forward and help.
Most of the women will have to eat two bars of "super-strength chocolate
specially formulated by Belgian chocolatiers" daily for one year and undergo
several tests to measure how healthy their hearts are.
The others will have to eat regular chocolate as a placebo.
One possible catch, for chocolate fans spotting an opportunity: volunteers for
the research should be menopausal but aged under 75 and have type two diabetes.
Study coordinator Peter Curtis said: "A successful outcome could be the first
step in developing new ways to improve the lives of people at increased risk of
heart disease."