Countries that consume the most chocolate per head have the highest numbers of Nobel laureates per capita, according to a study by medical researchers at Columbia University.

This study is referred to in a book titled “’Gen-in to kekka’ no keizaigaku” (The economics of “cause and effect”) written by Makiko Nakamuro and Yusuke Tsugawa.

The contention that a country's per-capita chocolate consumption is related to the number of Nobel Prizes it has won may have to be taken with a grain of salt. But Nakamuro and Tsugawa explain the apparent correlation by viewing the consumption of chocolate, basically a luxury, as an indicator of living standards.

Since a country that eats a lot of chocolate is likely to be a rich one, they reason, it can also afford to spend more money on education, boosting its chances of producing Nobel Prize winners.

This study offers a good example of an unexpected correlation between two seemingly unrelated things that is hard to detect.

How about this one? Regions with the largest number of ramen shops per population have the highest death rates from strokes.

This is a conclusion from a survey by a group of researchers at Jichi Medical University in Tokyo that was reported in a recent Asahi Shimbun evening edition.

Of the 10 prefectures with the highest numbers of ramen shops per population, the six prefectures of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Tochigi and Kagoshima are among the 10 with the highest rates of death from strokes for both men and women, according to the survey.

The researchers also examined whether there are similar links between deadly strokes and French restaurants or Japanese "soba" noodle shops but found no clear correlation such as that between ramen shops and stroke-caused deaths.

But it would be unfair to put all the blame on ramen. Aomori and Akita prefectures are known for their salty local cuisines. It is not clear whether people in these areas consume a lot of salt because they like ramen or if there are many ramen shops because they like salty dishes.

The survey, however, should at least encourage all Japanese to reflect on their dietary habits.

As a person with relatively high blood pressure, I make a point of asking for less salt at a ramen shop.

The problem is that this habit makes me feel reassured about eating more of the ramen soup than I should.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 17

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.