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Chocolate = Life?
The chocolates you receive for Valentine's Day not only taste
good, they may help you to live longer. A recent study by HSPH
researchers has found an association between consumption of candy and
greater longevity.
"Conventional wisdom has held that candy must be bad for you," said I-Min Lee, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology. "But there hasn't been a lot of research to explain why it must be unhealthy. We decided to investigate whether candy consumption was associated with longevity."
The authors used data from the Harvard Alumni Health Study, an ongoing study of men entering Harvard University as undergraduates between 1916 and 1950. The study participants returned a food-frequency questionnaire that provided information on consumption of candy.
The data did not allow the authors to distinguish between the consumption of sugar confectionery and chocolate.
After adjusting for age and controlling for factors including physical activity, smoking, and dietary habits, those who ate candy were found to live almost a year longer than those who didn't consume any candy. While men who ate candy one to three times per month fared best, those with any level of candy consumption lived longer, on average, than their non-consuming peers.
The antioxidant phenol may be responsible for the increased longevity of candy consumers, hypothesize the authors. "Phenol is found in chocolate," said Lee. "Phenol is also found in red wine, and we know that red wine is heart healthy." They also speculate that cacao, from which chocolate is made, can inhibit oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and can enhance immune function, leading to a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer.
"We're not saying candy is without adverse effects," cautioned Lee. "It causes dental caries and can lead to weight gain if not balanced with physical activity. There is no question that being overweight has negative health effects. What this study shows is that if you balance your candy eating with appropriate amounts of exercise, then candy may not be all bad."
The report, "Life is Sweet: Candy Consumption and Longevity," was published in the December 19, 1998, issue of
British Medical Journal. Lee said, "This study
has received a lot of attention. I've done thirty or forty interviews about
our findings. People seem excited by the idea that we can say something
good about eating candy."
I-Min Lee, assistant professor of
epidemiology, with the good--and timely--news that candy
and chocolate consumption may extend your life.
