Seeing Dark Chocolate in a New Light
 (Salt Lake Tribune, 5/24/05)

Researchers report that cacao beans, an ingredient in chocolate, contain flavonoids, which are plant compounds that may lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Studies have associated high flavonoid dark chocolate with improved blood pressure, better blood vessel function, less sticky blood and increases in HDL “good” cholesterol. But consumers must be aware that chocolate products contain varying amounts of cacao—dark chocolate tends to have more—and even candies that advertise high cacao content may have low flavonoid value due to processing. In addition, Bonnie Liebman of the Center for Science in the Public Interest warns that the ingredients added to cacao tend to make chocolate high in calories, and therefore something to be eaten with caution.