clipped from: www.grinningplanet.com   

CAN “DEATH BY CHOCOLATE” LEAD TO
“LIFE BY CHOCOLATE”?
Chocolate and Health — Is It Good for You or Bad For You?

picture of hand holding a piece of dark chocolate Going into cocoa-overload with a serving of the famous dessert "Death By Chocolate" is probably not the way to find out if chocolate is good for you. In this article, we will explore the health benefits of chocolate and provide some serving suggestions to ensure that the phrase "chocolate and health" is something other than a dietary oxymoron for you.

First, let's start off with some of the health-giving attributes of chocolate:

  • It's rich in certain essential minerals, and it's packed with bioflavonoids, especially flavonols.
  • Chocolate is thought to improve blood flow and elasticity in blood vessels; lower blood pressure; improve overall heart health; and reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
  • It can decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as the body's inflammatory immune responses.