Chocolate, the New Health Food

by Dr. Karen Yale - D.C., C.C.N., F.I.A.M.A., D.A.C.B.N.

Say yes to chocolate

It's one of life's pleasures, good on any... and every occasion. Chocolate lifts us out of a funk, helps us celebrate important events, and now we're learning it's healthy for you too. That's good news for all of us, especially since one of our biggest chocolate-consuming holiday - Valentine's Day - is this month.

The darker the better

While most American prefer white or milk chocolate, it's dark chocolate that offers the biggest health benefits. Besides containing antioxidants that help fight free radicals, new studies coming out of Germany show that dark chocolate, which contains cocoa phenols, can help maintain blood pressure levels already in the normal range.

This is no license to go on a chocolate-feeding frenzy. You have to balance the calories. For example, according to their website, Hershey's Extra Dark, Pure Dark Chocolate, three blocks (37 grams) contains 210 calories, 120 calories from fat alone. For the same number of calories, you could eat an orange, an apple, one cup watermelon, a plum and have six calories left over.

Other natural blood pressure supporters

A silent enemy, blood pressure concerns plague millions of Americans who are completely unaware an issue exists. Besides a moderate amount of dark chocolate, you might also consider natural nutrients like Garlic, Hawthorne Extract, Vitamins B-12 and B-6. They don't have the caloric content of dark chocolate and can do your body a wealth of good.

For a comprehensive solution, I recommend Blood Pressure Complex from Botanic Choice because it contains all four of the nutrients I just mentioned, plus a few more to support your homocysteine levels, arteries, capillaries, and blood flow.

If you can limit yourself to a small amount of dark chocolate, about 30 calories a day, then go for it. For the rest of us with less self control (including me), a natural approach to heart health might be your best solution.

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