A Swedish study has found that the more chocolate women said they ate – especially dark chocolate – the lower their risk of stroke.

The Swedish study in the Journal of American College of Cardiology looked at 33,000 women and found that two chocolate bars per week appear to help reduce a woman's chance of stroke. The results support evidence linking cocoa to heart health, but doctors caution this is not a free pass to over-indulge.

Scientists believe antioxidants and flavonoids may be the substances that allow chocolate to help lower blood pressure, a contributing factor for strokes.

Dr. Susanna Larsson points out that the amount of cocoa in brands of chocolate varies. Chocolate consumed in Sweden has as much as 30-percent cocoa solids. U.S. chocolate may contain much less cocoa.