Eat Chocolate for Your Health

So Valentine's Day is here,and sales for chocolate have probably increased by 300% (okay i'm exaggerating). But I'm sure people's pantry and desk drawers now have pieces of delicious chocolate waiting for them. As for me, I have a chocolate cake waiting for me at home. =) Because chocolate is high in sugar and fat, chocolate is sometimes known as the "guilty pleasure". But there is some good news for chocolate lovers out there.

In an article on the WebMD by Daniel J. Denoon, titled, A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away, he states, "Eating a small 1.6 ounce bar of dark chocolate every day is good for you." This is based on study by Mary Engler, PhD, RN, of University of California, San Francisco. The gist of the study involved two groups. One group was given dark chocolate with high-cocoa content. The high-cocoa content contained a large amount epicatechin. Epicatechin is a member of a group of compound called plant flavoniods. This is the keyword, FLAVONIODS. Flavoniods according to DeNoon, "keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries."

The other group was given a bar of dark chocolate to eat each day for two weeks also, but the flavoniods were taken out. At the end of the trial both groups were tested, and the group that ate the chocolate with flavoniods tested much better for blood vessel functioning. Improved blood vessel functioning means better blow flow through your heart.

Dark chocolate is better than other chocolates because chocolate companies have discovered that dark chocolate keep up to 95% of its flavoniods. While this is great news for dark chocolate lovers, as with anything, you should still eat in moderation. This doesn't mean you should go an increase your amount of dark chocolate consumption by ridiculous amounts. DeNoon reiterates the importance of moderation, he states, "While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate still is loaded with calories. If you're going to eat more chocolate, you'll have to cut back somewhere else. And remember that a balanced diet -- and plenty of exercise -- is still the key to heart health."

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