Now you can let go of the guilt when you unwrap a sinfully-sweet-tasting bar of chocolate””as long as it’s dark chocolate. A study conducted by University of California researchers found that dark chocolate may help support healthy blood pressure levels already in the normal range and help maintain overall cardiovascular health.
Just like green tea, black tea, red wine and blueberries, dark chocolate is high in flavonoids. Study subjects who consumed dark chocolate every day for two weeks showed elevated levels of epicatechin (a plant flavonoid) which may support healthy blood vessel elasticity.
Unfortunately, dark chocolate is still high in fat and calories. So, for best health benefits, add it to your diet, but don’t go overboard. And, be sure to check with your favorite brand manufacturer on flavonoid content. Standard manufacturing destroys up to half the flavonoid content in dark chocolate””but there are some companies who produce it with a large percent of flavonoids intact.