Scientists around the world have concluded that there are many positive health benefits to including chocolate in you diet. Most notable, there is mounting evidence that chocolate lowers blood pressure, doesn't raise blood cholesterol and is high in antioxidants.

According to a UCSF article, "Flavanols are a sub-class of flavonoids found naturally in a variety of plant-based foods, including certain cocoas, chocolates and red wine". Decades of studies suggest that flavanols may have a host of potentially beneficial health effects including reducing the risk of blood clots and heart disease. Dark chocolate with over 510 mg of flavonol in a 100 gram weight (about 3.5 ounces) is better for you than milk or white chocolate or red wine. Red wine has only 63 mg in 100 ml serving.

A German study found that people who consumed 1 bar of dark chocolate per day saw their systolic blood pressure (upper number) fall 5 points from their initial baseline. The group that consumed 1 bar of white chocolate per day did not see a change in blood pressure. - Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003.

According to a study by Cornell in November 2003, cocoa has higher antioxidant content than red wine, black tea and green tea. Possibly, eating moderate amounts of chocolate -- due to its antioxidant effects -- could lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The bad news is that chocolate is high in fat, but the good news is that studies have confirmed that the saturated fat (stearic acid) in cocoa doesn't raise blood cholesterol.

The following websites have additional information on the health benefits of eating chocolate:

• Prevention.com
• Study Sweet for Chocolate Lovers
• Chocolate "Helps Blood Vessels"
• Chocolate -- and Your Health
• Health Effects Chocolate Nutrition