Good news for chocoholics. The treat favoured by millions not only tastes delicious but is healthy for you, American researchers said on Monday.

Chocolate contains compounds called flavonoids that can help maintain a healthy heart and good circulation and reduce blood clotting. The researchers found not only an increase in antioxidant capacity after chocolate consumption, but also modulation of certain compounds which affect blood vessels.

The researchers measured the impact of chocolate on platelets in the blood. Platelet activation is thought to be an important risk factor in blood clotting.

Volunteers who consumed the chocolate had lower levels of platelet activity, while the scientists found no change in the group that ate the bread. The results of the study support earlier research which showed that cocoa acts like low-dose aspirin which helps to reduce blood clotting.

These results lead us to believe that chocolate may contribute to a healthy, well-balanced diet.