More Evidence That Eating Chocolate is Good for You

We have heard before that eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is good for us. Here is more evidence:

The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.

It was a matched small-sample study that nevertheless yielded statistically and clinically significant results:

Blumberg and colleagues at the University of L'Aquila in Italy studied 10 men and 10 women with high blood pressure.

For 15 days, half ate a daily 3.5 ounce (100 gram) bar of specially formulated, flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, while the other half ate the same amount of white chocolate. Then each group "crossed over" and ate the other chocolate.

"White chocolate, which has no flavonoids, was the perfect control food because it contains all the other ingredients and calories found in dark chocolate," Blumberg said.

"It's important to note that the dark chocolate we used had a high level of flavonoids, giving it a slightly bittersweet taste. Most Americans eat milk chocolate, which has a low amount of these compounds."

I confess. I much prefer a standard Hershey or Cadbury milk chocolate bar to any of that fancy-schmancy 76% cocoa dark chocolate bitter stuff. Ian Klymchuk would undoubtedly agree.

And of course there is a trade-off between weight gain and other problems that might arise from consuming the calories and sugar in comparison with benefits from consuming the flavonoids.