Chocolate

Dear Dr. Mirkin: Can I really believe the reports that chocolate is
good for me?

    Just in time to promote Valentine's Day sales, a report
published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association
(February 2003) said that chocolate is good for your heart. 
Researchers at the University of California at Davis reviewed a
number of recent studies on chocolate and its health benefits.
They found that flavan-3-ols, the main flavonoids found in cocoa,
are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
    Seventeeth-century Europeans also believed in
chocolate’s healing powers. They said it “comforted the liver,
aided in digestion and made one happy and strong.”  It is true
that the cocoa bean contains flavonoids that are potent
antioxidants, but chocolate is a bitter tasting bean. You have to
add sugar and fat to make it taste good, and the fats and sugars
that are added to chocolate probably cancel out any benefits that
you gain from the cocoa beans.  Enjoy chocolate as an
occasional treat, but don’t believe that it will prevent a heart
attack.
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