New research suggests that eating chocolate every day could lower heart disease and stroke risk, Forbes reported.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen found that eating up to 100 g of chocolate daily was linked to an 11 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 25 percent lower risk of associated death. There doesn't seem to be any evidence for cutting out chocolate to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from nearly 21,000 adults taking part in the EPIC-Norfolk study, which is tracking the impact of diet on the long term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, England, using food frequency and lifestyle questionnaires. They also reviewed international published evidence on the links between chocolate and cardiovascular disease, involving almost 158,000 people.

They found that higher levels of chocolate consumption were associated with younger age and lower weight (BMI), "waist: hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, inflammatory proteins," diabetes and more regular physical activity --all of which add up to a favorable cardiovascular disease risk profile, The Washington Post reported.

Eating more chocolate was also associated with higher energy intake and a diet containing more fat and carbs and less protein and alcohol. It was also associated with a 9 percent lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result of coronary heart disease, after taking account of dietary factors.

"Cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events," researchers concluded.

And the beneficial health effects may extend to milk chocolate, which is considered to be less "healthy" than dark chocolate.

The findings are detailed in the journal Heart.