Heart-Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate It’s no secret that
fruits, vegetables and grains provide many health benefits -
we've been told that for years. But did you know that eating
chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, could benefit your
heart? It’s all about the flavonoids in the chocolate. What are
flavonoids? Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found
in plant-based foods. They can be found in a wide array of foods
and beverages such as cranberries, apples, peanuts, chocolate,
onions, tea and red wine. There are more than 4,000 combinations
of flavonoids. Have you had your flavonoids today? Flavonoids
provide important protective benefits to plants, such as
repairing damage and shielding from environmental toxins. When
we consume plant-based foods rich in flavonoids – like dark
chocolate – it appears that we also benefit from this
“antioxidant” power. Antioxidants are believed to help the
body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals, which are
formed by normal bodily processes such as brea