Chocolate a day causes weaker bones

London, Jan 25 (UNI) Not only is it calorie-packed, but eating lots of chocolate could lead to weaker bones, a study said.

Women who ate chocolate daily were found to have less dense bones than those who ate it less than once a week, according to scientists at the University of Western Australia.

The Daily Mail quoted head researcher Dr Jonathan Hodgson as saying, ''Cocoa and chocolate have been promoted as having a range of beneficial cardiovascular properties, but the effect of chocolate intake on other organ systems has not been studied.'' He added, ''These findings could have important implications for prevention of osteoporotic fracture.'' The scientists monitored the amount of chocolate eaten over several weeks by 1,001 women aged 70 to 85 and then measured the bone density and strength of each woman using X-rays.

They found those who ate chocolate less than once a week had significantly stronger bones than those who consumed it daily.

The team believes this may be due to oxalate in chocolate, which can reduce calcium absorption, and sugar, which is linked to calcium excretion.

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