Hidden Health Secrets of Chocolate

Sweet News About Your Favorite Treat

I recently spotted a bumper sticker that quips, "If I must die, let it be death by chocolate." It's good for a chuckle, but evidence is mounting that chocolate can benefit the heart in many ways and may even help you to live longer. Dark chocolate is best: It's typically richer than milk chocolate in a group of antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols, and it has a better fat content. Here's a look at recent research on how chocolate can help the heart, brain, skin, and more.

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