Good News For Chocolate-Lovers - health - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 2001

Here's news every chocolate-lover longs to hear: Chocolate may actually be good for you--especially dark varieties. Dutch researchers indicate that dark chocolate contains four times the amount of catechin antioxidants than black tea, which is suspected of having a protective effect against heart disease and possibly cancer due to its antioxidant properties.

The researchers analyzed the amount of catechins in chocolate and tea and found that dark chocolate contained the most. Milk chocolate had just a bit more than black tea. They also analyzed the food intake of more than 6,200 women and men to determine the importance of chocolate as a source of catechins in typical diets. While tea made up 55% of the total intake of catechins, chocolate contributed 20%.

Although no one is suggesting that you gobble heaps of chocolate--it does contain high levels of fat and sugar, after all--the researchers say the old Dutch habit of having a cup of tea and a chocolate cookie might be a healthy indulgence as well as an enjoyable one.