The dark side of dark chocolate

Q: I've heard a lot about the health benefits of dark chocolate, but I'm interested in knowing your opinion on it.

JVW: Dark chocolate has become the latest media darling. And there is evidence showing that it offers some health benefits. Just one example is a study published a while ago in the journal Hypertension, which concluded that eating approximately 3 ounces of dark chocolate (which contains flavonols) on a daily basis helps in a small but significant degree to combat high blood pressure, insulin resistance, blood vessel dilation, and LDL cholesterol in individuals with hypertension. The researchers referred to prior research that demonstrated the same effects in healthy individuals.

But what this study -- and most of the other articles on this topic -- didn't take into consideration are the adverse effects of the refined sugar in dark chocolate. But you can. Skip the candy bar, and make your own hot chocolate using organic cocoa powder, almond milk, and lo han or stevia.

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