There are few foods that people feel as passionate about -- a passion that goes beyond a love for the "sweetness" of most candies or desserts: after all, few people crave caramel, whipped cream, or bubble gum. Chocolate is, well, different. For the true chocoholic, just thinking about chocolate can evoke a pleasurable response. Scientists have reported preliminary evidence recently that cocoa and other chocolates may keep high blood pressure down, your blood flowing and your heart healthy. One study found that a substance in cocoa helps the body process nitric oxide (NO), a compound critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. Another study showed that flavonols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots. Flavonoids called flavanols in chocolate are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic. Cocoa beans contain large quantities of flavonoids, and so do red wine, tea, cranberries, peanuts, strawberries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables Science has found that dark chocolate is higher in flavonoids than milk chocolate Ofcourse because all that sugar and processing agents rob the good qualities of the chocolateto make it less bitter. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may diminsh appetite. Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood. As long as you eat the dark stuff and skip the milk on the side, chocolate may actually be good for you. People who ate 3 ounces of dark chocolate a day had more antioxidants in their blood than those who ate milk chocolate or ate dark chocolate with milk. More research in this area is needed to determine just how much chocolate we chocolate-lovers can eat in order to acquire cardioprotective benefits. Until that time, enjoy chocolate in moderate portions a few times per week. Don’t forget to eat other flavonoid-rich foods like apples, red wine, tea, onions and cranberries.

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