Chocolate Is Good for You!

Great news on the chocolate front Chocolate is good for you. Under certain circumstances.
Katherine Tallmadge, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says, in the February 9, 2005 WASHINGTON POST that cacao, or cocoa beans, contain flavanols, naturally occurring plant compounds also found in tea, red wine, and apples. Their properties have been studied as heart disease inhibitors.
Carl L. Keen, chair of the department of nutrition at University of California, Davis, states in the same article that the flavanols in cocoa help maintain a healthy vascular system. They reduce blood clotting an aspirin like effect reduce oxidative damage and improve blood flow.Deanna continues, The other chocolate bar that I think is acceptable is Amber Lyn Chocolates fine imported Belgian chocolate, sugar free and carb conscious. A little higher in calories than Carbolite, the 1.2 oz bar has 15 16g carbs. For nutrition information visit www.amberlynchocolates.com. The dark chocolate bars have 157 calories.

Flavanols are not listed, but these dark chocolates are a good bet for that HEALTHFUL piece of chocolate it is your DUTY to eat regularly. And soon, no doubt, manufacturers will begin to formulate their candies to be high in flavanols and say so.
Unfortunately the flavanols in chocolate are bitter and are mostly removed from processed chocolate. The level decreases with each step, from the bean to the cocoa powder, and ultimately to a finished product. But big manufacturers like Nestle and Mars Inc.producers of M&Ms are working on chocolate items that are what else good for you. We can soon expect chocolate bars and candies that advertise their high level of flavanols. In the meantime, the only product that states its flavanol level is Mars Dove Dark Chocolate, which has 150 mg. in 1.3 oz., a high level. It also has 200 calories. We live in an imperfect world.