Mel B's 'chocolate rule' and that may protect you from high cholesterol

The singer has previously spoken about her approach to keeping chocolate treats a part of her usual diet

Mel B has one simple rule that allows her to eat chocolate and not worry too much about her health. It's all about strict moderation and portion control.

The Spice Girls star previously spoke about her "simple" daily diet in an interview with Body and Soul. She said: "For breakfast I’ll whip up a quick smoothie with coconut water, greek yoghurt, and whatever fruit I have around me, like banana and blue berries and granola.

"I’ll have some dark rye avocado toast for lunch with a leafy green salad and grilled chicken for dinner with some stir-fry veggies. I snack on a mix of Brazil nuts, almonds and fruit throughout the day and try to keep my chocolate intake to two squares after dinner every other day."

Cutting back on foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat is crucial to avoid having health issues. But, that doesn't mean stripping them out of your diet completely.

Having chocolate as an occasional treat does more than just satisfy your taste buds. When had in moderation, there could actually be some health benefits to the sweet treat too.

Opting for dark chocolate has been proven to be healthier than milk or white varieties. This is due to the higher concentration of cocoa found in darker bars.

Consuming dark chocolate can improve several important risk factors for heart disease and may protect against high cholesterol. Some studies have found that eating dark chocolate could significantly decrease levels of LDL - known as the 'bad cholesterol' - and triglycerides - a type of fat that stores extra calories and provides energy.

Cocoa contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that have been proven to reach the bloodstream and fight against free radical damage to your body. The flavanols in dark chocolate can also reduce your sensitivity towards insulin.

In the long term, this should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease. Over time, studies have shown that consuming flavanol-rich cocoa or chocolate can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

The flavanoids in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce nitric oxide. This substance sends signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers the resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.

Following Mel B's 'rule', it would seem the Spice Girls singer limited herself to a few squares of her chosen chocolate roughly three days a week. A review of studies revealed that eating chocolate over this period of time lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 9%.