In times of stress, times of sadness, times of celebration, happiness, boredom, Friday night, any night – many of us turn to chocolate to put a smile on our faces. But chocolate isn't just delicious, it can also be good for your heart health.

That's according to a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The scientists involved followed up the results of six previous studies, across 330,000 participants and found that those who ate chocolate more than once a week were 8pc less likely to suffer from coronary artery disease, a condition which causes heart attacks.

The study did not assess exactly how much chocolate should be consumed nor whether there was any specific type, dark or milk for example, which provides this protective effect.

Lead author Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas noted, “chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol).”

Though we wouldn't condone ripping open the bar of Dairy Milk in the cupboard and scoffing the lot, it's always nice to know that a little square of good-quality dark chocolate here and there not only lifts our mood, but could have a range of other medicinal benefits, too. Here are 10 futher potential health benefits of good chocolate.