A compound in dark chocolate has been found to protect the brain after a stroke.

Johns Hopkins researchers tested the effectiveness of epicatechin, a compound found naturally in dark chocolate, in shielding the brain from injury following stroke. They fed mice small amounts of the compound before inducing an ischemic stroke by essentially cutting off blood supply to the animals’ brains. They found that the animals that had preventively ingested the epicatechin suffered significantly less brain damage than the ones that had not been given the compound.

In addition, epicatechin appeared to limit further brain damage when given to mice three and a half hours after a stroke, which is longer than the two- to three-hour post-stroke time window previously believed to offer efficacy.

Researchers say their findings suggest that epicatechin stimulates two previously well-established pathways known to shield nerve cells in the brain from damage.

The amount of dark chocolate people would need to consume to benefit from its protective effects remains unclear, since clinical trials have not been conducted. Scientists say people shouldn’t take this research as a free pass to go out and consume large amounts of chocolate, which is high in calories and fat. Instead, they should be reminded to eat a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.