Chocolate Could Combat Strokes
The good news just keeps on coming for chocoholics. Now a new Swedish study suggests that eating chocolate may help reduce your risk of stroke. Researchers followed 37,103 men for more than 10 years, during which 1,995 incidents of stroke were recorded. Men in the top one-quarter of chocolate consumption (averaging 2.2 ounces per week, or between 1 1/2 and 2 candy bars) were 17% less likely to suffer a stroke than those in the lowest group, averaging no chocolate consumption. Men with a history of high blood pressure did not see a lower risk with greater chocolate intake, however. The Swedish scientists also performed a meta-analysis of 5 studies, including their new study, and found a similar association between chocolate and lower stroke risk among women as well as men. “Flavonoids in chocolate may be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory effects,” researchers concluded. — Neurology

Dietary Magnesium May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk
A new study again casts the spotlight on magnesium, an often-overlooked mineral that’s now getting noticed for health benefits ranging from diabetes to stroke prevention. In the latest research, British and Dutch scientists compared dietary magnesium intake among 768 patients with colorectal adenomas (polyps) and 709 healthy control subjects. For every 100 mg increase in magnesium from foods (about the amount in a cup of beans or 2 potatoes), the risk of cancer dropped 19%. That association was limited, however, to people with a BMI of 25 or over, those who were at least 55 years old, and advanced adenomas. The scientists also analyzed data from 9 previous studies. In that review, every additional 100 mg of magnesium from the diet per day was linked to a 12% lower risk of colorectal cancer and a 13% decrease in the risk of colon polyps. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Study Casts Doubt on Calorie Restriction for Longevity
Contradicting other research on calorie restriction and longevity, a new National Institutes on Aging study reports that rhesus monkeys fed 30% fewer calories were healthier but didn’t live any longer than a control group. The monkeys — long-lived primates similar to humans — had been followed since 1987. Those on a restricted diet did have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. But that didn’t translate into longer lifespans. Researchers in a similar study at the Wisconsin National Primate Center, who have reported longevity benefits linked to calorie restriction, pointed out potentially key differences between the studies: The control group in the NIA study was given vitamin and mineral supplements and fed a limited, though higher-calorie diet. In the Wisconsin experiment, monkeys in the control group were allowed free access to food, which those researchers argued more closely resembles actual human lifestyles. — Nature

Olive Oil Boosts Blood-Vessel Function
A little extra olive oil might be good for your blood vessels. In a new US-Italian study, people with atherosclerosis showed significant improvement in endothelial function (the lining of the blood vessels) when given about 2 tablespoons daily of olive oil. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche in Florence said this was the first such finding of its kind, concluding, “The current study demonstrates that longer-term supplementation of olive oil improves endothelial function in individuals with low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, an effect likely attributed to reduction in vascular inflammation.” The 4-month study was completed by 52 participants. Those with the poorest endothelial function at the start of the study showed the greatest apparent benefit from the olive oil. A group that received EGCG, an antioxidant found in tea, along with the olive oil fared no better than those on olive oil alone, however. — European Journal of Nutrition

Weight and Other Health Factors Affect Your Brain
Staying healthy and maintaining a normal weight helps protect your brain, according to a 10-year study of 6,401 British civil servants. Participants, initially ages 39-63, were less likely to have impaired cognitive function if they were not overweight or obese. Those with multiple markers of “metabolic abnormality” were more likely to suffer impaired cognitive function; these markers included high cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure, low “good” HDL cholesterol, high glucose or diabetes. In followup mental testing at the 5- and 10-year points, those who were both obese and “metabolically abnormal” were significantly more likely to show a faster rate of cognitive decline. Researchers speculated that vascular problems associated with weight might affect brain function, along with fat-related secretions that impact the aging brain. — Neurology