15 surprising ways to boost heart health
Savor chocolate.
Statin medication lowers heart disease risk in those without known heart problems by only 1.2 percent, says Teitelbaum. Eating a small square of chocolate daily is 25 times as effective at protecting your heart, without unwanted side effects. A study of nearly 5,000 people showed that those who ate chocolate (any kind) five times a week had a 57 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who consumed no chocolate—probably thanks to chocolate’s polyphenol antioxidants, says Teitelbaum.