Chocolate bars ‘can help with weight loss strategies’

Tucking into a delicious bar of chocolate could actually help people in their efforts to lose weight, new research has found.

Dr Beatrice Golomb led a team from the University of California at San Diego to find the benefits this luxury food can provide to health-conscious individuals.

While the researchers found that chocolate contained more calories than many other treats, people who ate the food in moderation had less body fat than those who steered clear of the confection.

According to the team, this could because the calories found in a chocolate bar may not be "normal" when compared to other foods.

"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," Ms Golomb explained.

Good Morning America and Reader's Digest recently suggested that eating chocolate with more cocoa than sugar can lead to antioxidants being delivered to the body, which then fight against excessive fat.

Does your diet include the odd bar of chocolate?