Good news for chocoholics: it turns out your addiction to the sweet stuff may actually help you lose weight. At least that’s what some UC San Diego scientists are saying in a report published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In a study led by Dr. Beatrice Golomb, findings suggest that chocolate intake may actually play a part in lower body mass index (BMI). “Chocolate is rich in antioxidant phytonutrients like catechins that could contribute to favorable relationships of chocolate consumption to insulin sensitivity and [blood pressure],” reported the researchers in the study. “However, because chocolate is often consumed as a sweet and bears calories, there are concerns related to its intake.” The authors hypothesized that modest, regular chocolate consumption might be calorie-neutral. The metabolic benefits of eating modest amounts of chocolate, they figured, might lead to reduced fat deposition per calorie and approximately offset the added calories (thus rendering frequent, though modest, chocolate consumption neutral with regard to weight). To assess this hypothesis, the researchers examined approximately 1,000 adult men and women in San Diego. The findings were even more favorable than the researchers conjectured. They found that adults who ate chocolate more days a week had a lower body mass index than those who ate chocolate less often. This was despite the fact that those who ate chocolate more often did not eat fewer calories (they ate more), nor did they exercise more. Indeed, no differences in behaviors were identified that might explain the finding as a difference in calories taken in versus calories expended. “Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight,” said Golomb. “In the case of chocolate, this is good news — both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one.”