A study found that chocolate helps keep the heart's blood vessels healthy. This is because chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid, which are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, increase good cholesterol, improve blood flow and boost mood and concentration.
In fact, a single serving of a cocoa product can contain more phytochemical antioxidants than most foods and more procyanidins -- which block the uptake of bad cholesterol.
Cocoa consumption is associated with significantly lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality (death by any cause). It helps keep plaque from building up in the lining of blood vessels and reduces blood pressure. It has been shown to help prevent stroke and heart failure.
Chocolate has also been linked to improving blood flow to the brain, which may help with cognitive function. It might boost oxygen delivery during fitness training. But it does not appear to be so good for the skin -- a recent study found a link to acne.
But if the dark chocolate is highly processed by a manufacturer, the benefit can decline.
This new study looked back over five decades of studies and found eating chocolate more than once a week was associated with an 8% decreased risk of coronary artery disease.
"Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect the coronary arteries but it's likely that large quantities do not," Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas said. "The calories, sugar, milk, and fat in commercially available products need to be considered, particularly in diabetics and obese people."
Unlike green tea, which degrades with shelf life, chocolate bars maintain their potency over at least 50 weeks.
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