By Pure Matters Remember that song about how the foot bone is
connected to the leg bone and on and on, all the way up to the
head bone? Kids have fun singing about these obvious anatomical
relationships, but sometimes the connections between body parts
are more surprising. Here's how to use your mouth to keep your
heart healthy. Make your dessert dark chocolate. Yes, we're
giving you permission to eat candy. Dark chocolate is packed
with heart-friendly antioxidants. It may also lower levels of
bad LDL cholesterol and help raise levels of good HDL
cholesterol. One more thing: Chemicals in dark chocolate help
reduce blood clotting and increase blood-vessel flexibility,
decreasing the chance of a heart attack. But don't go crazy --
all you need to get the benefits without too much fat is one
half ounce daily. Make sure it contains at least 70 percent
cocoa (it'll say on the label). Take care of your teeth.
Columbia University doctors have found that people whose mouths
contain a high number of the bacteria that