Almost all of us like chocolates and love to indulge in them. Here is some more good news for all the chocolate lovers as dark chocolates are believed to help prevent heart attacks and stroke.

Chocolate is a derived product of the seeds of the cacao tree. Now, researchers from Louisiana State University have discovered cocoa flavanols, from that seed, which is believed to have nutrients that halt the risk of stroke and heart disease.

The researchers believe that certain bacteria in the stomach gobble the chocolate up and ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for the heart.

John Finley, Ph.D., who led the work, said that both components are poorly digested and absorbed, but when they reach the colon, the desirable microbes take over, asserting that in their study they found that the fiber is fermented and the large polyphenolic polymers are metabolized to smaller molecules, which are more easily absorbed. These smaller polymers exhibit anti-inflammatory activity.

Finley also noted that combining the fiber in cocoa with prebiotics is likely to improve a person's overall health and help convert polyphenolics in the stomach into anti-inflammatory compounds.