'Tis the season for shopaholics and chocoholics.

Researchers are saying it may be beneficial to indulge in dark chocolate this holiday season. A recent study at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that a daily bite or two of chocolate could cut the risk of dying from a heart attack in half.

According to a press release from Johns Hopkins, eating a little bit of chocolate or having some hot cocoa as part of a regular diet is probably good for personal health. The caveat is to indulge in moderation and avoid chocolate high in butter and sugar.

Compounds in chocolate have very similar effects on the body as aspirin, especially preventing the clotting of blood in narrowing arteries.

During the experiment, participants who indulged daily had a reduced chance of forming a blood clot, while those who resisted the temptation of chocolate had blood platelets that clotted much faster, the press release stated.

Devin Peterson, Penn State food chemist, said this is a normal biochemical reaction that occurs in the body when phenols, a chemical found in chocolate, are consumed.

Methylglyoxal is a compound found in the body after digesting a meal, and when trapped in the body for long periods of time, it can result in plaque formation, hardening and narrowing the arteries, Peterson said.

The phenols in chocolate act as a trap that converts the methylglyoxal into another compound that does not block arteries, he said.

Ziegler said not every type of chocolate has the same benefits. The beneficial compounds are found in the cocoa powder, he said. The chocolate with 70 percent cocoa powder or more -- the darker chocolates -- will be better than milk chocolate that is loaded with sugar and butter, Ziegler said.

"You want ones high in cocoa liquor, that tend to be bitterer, maybe harder, and so those are the ones that will provide you with the most benefits," he added.

The team of researchers advises people to eat two tablespoons of a dark chocolate that is rich in cocoa powder every day to receive its benefits, the press release said.

Peterson said he believes there are many possible implications for compounds found in chocolate. The compounds may affect other biological pathways besides the cardiovascular system or be possible compounds in drug therapies, but research still needs to be conducted, he said.

"Chemistry could make a big impact in this area," Peterson said.