A stroke of luck for sweet tooths Just in time for Valentine's Day, there's some new information about the benefits of chocolate. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found that eating small amounts of dark chocolate every day can help reduce your risk of developing potentially dangerous blood clots. Like a lot of medical discoveries, this particular finding came about by accident. The researchers were initially attempting to study aspirin's effects on blood platelets. One of the dietary requirements the researchers asked the study participants to follow was to discontinue eating chocolate. But 139 of the participants didn't have the willpower to complete the assigned task -- and it turns out they may be better off for it. When the researchers compared blood samples from the people who did give up chocolate to the 139 who didn't, they found that the chocolate-eaters' blood took 7 seconds longer to clot. Now, this isn't a free pass to hit the closest Godiva shop. The researchers concluded that people could benefits from eating "a bit" of dark chocolate each day. Again, like everything else, moderation is key. And when it comes to chocolate's health benefits, you only need about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons' worth per day. And keep in mind that the study only benefits for dark chocolate only -- not the refined-sugar- and milk-laden stuff you'll find in most candy aisles. If you really want to play it safe and avoid the sugar, fat, and dairy pitfalls altogether, you might want to opt for getting your chocolate benefits from cocoa nibs (see the "What is..." section below), which don't contain any of these less-than-healthy additives. Cocoa nibs are available in most natural food stores and from various Internet sources. | 
