We can apparently never have too many studies that chocolate is good for us. Do a Nexis database search on the subject and your computer might explode, that's how many news stories there've been over the years about the salutary effects of chocolate on the cardiovascular system. Researchers think it has to do with the flavonoid compounds in chocolate.

It's almost enough to make a skeptical person suspect a chocolate industry conspiracy.

Still, all that prior research doesn't stop scientists from continuing to try and understand the benefits derived from eating small amounts of chocolate frequently.

It could be a reaction to all the stories about how this or that favorite food is bad for us. It's probably also a function of researchers having sweet tooths, too.

That may explain why there's yet another study, this time in the European Heart Journal which found a correlation between frequent chocolate consumption and lower blood pressure.

From the abstract or summary of the study:

Chocolate consumption appears to lower (cardiovascular disease) risk, in part through reducing (blood pressure.) The inverse association may be stronger for stroke than for (heart attack.) Further research is needed, in particular randomized trials.

I think I speak for a lot of us in asking: where do we sign up for this "further research?"