Hello, and welcome to more or less on the BBC World Service, the lighter way to enjoy

statistics.

I'm Robert Coffe.

Christmas is coming, which means we'll be getting fat.

But as we put down the biscuits only to pick up that 10th bar of chocolate, our guilt

will be eased by headlines like,

chock full of benefits.

This is why you should be eating chocolate every day for the sake of your brain and heart.

To improve memory, consider chocolate.

Drinking hot chocolate could prevent Alzheimer's.

Well, this week we have bad news for your confectionery guilt.

We're tracing how good research evolves into the crumbliest, flaky headlines about

chocolate's health benefits, and asking whether industry funding has a role to play

in the hype.

Extraving in claims about chocolate are nothing new.

It was originally advertised in the 17th century for its medicinal properties, thirsted after

by people of all degrees, especially those of the female sex, either for the pleasure

they're innaturally residing to cure and divert diseases or else to supply some defects

of nature.

Modern researchers focus on one particular element in cocopines, flavonols.

Dr. Joanne Manson, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told us about the research to date.

Some trials have shown that they lower blood pressure.

...