CHOCOLATE is no good for our hips but it sits alongside fruit and vegetables when it comes to preventing disease, scientists have found. Human guinea pigs gorged on M&M's in a recent study, which found a substance in chocolate called procyanidins had a beneficial antioxidant effect, said CSIRO scientist Ivor Dreosti. Procyanidins are a type of polyphenol, a substance whose antioxidant effect was also found in fruit, vegetables, tea and red wine. Antioxidants are belived to protect the body against "free radicals", which contribute to chronic diseases.