Good reasons to eat more chocolate

IN ITS EARLIEST INCEPTION, it was a bitter, frothy potion seasoned with chili pepper and sipped by Mesoamerican civilizations who sought the digestive, energizing, and aphrodisiac effects attributed to the bean of the cacao tree. Today, scientists are finding that chocolate may work wonders for the heart. One study at Athens Medical School in Greece, for example, showed that dark chocolate can decrease arterial stiffness in healthy adults.

"Chocolate contains phenols, antioxidants similar to those found in red wine," says Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., wine chemist at the University of California, Davis. "These phenols have been shown to improve vascular-wall tone, lower blood pressure, and decrease blood-clotting risk by reducing platelet activity. Studies demonstrate that there are beneficial effects with just one serving." While chocolate is high in saturated fat, the stearic acid it contains doesn't appear to raise cholesterol levels.

Not all chocolate is created equal. Milk chocolate has two to four times less phenols. "The higher the cacao content, the higher the antioxidant content," notes Waterhouse. Not a fan of bittersweet? Turn the pare for a selection of unusual options that will lure you to the dark side.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group