Is Chocolate Good For Your Health?

By Dan Fields: 10 Hidden Health Secrets of Chocolate
A 2007 study from Germany showed that eating just one-quarter ounce of dark chocolate a day for 18 weeks lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure without increasing weight.

More recently, scientists at Yale University reported that consuming a single bar of dark chocolate or two cups of natural cocoa reduced blood pressure and improved blood-vessel function in overweight adults.

A pair of 2008 studies found that eating dark chocolate reduces blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for chronic inflammation that indicates an increased risk of heart disease.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University reported that volunteers who consumed 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day for one week lowered their CRP levels by 23 percent. And Italian researchers discovered that just two-thirds of an ounce of dark chocolate every three days reduced CRP.

Dan Fields is a freelance writer and editor in Framingham, Massachusetts. He is the former editor of Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter