Dark Chocolate Is Good For You.

Researchers in Scotland and Italy have found that dark chocolate raises antioxidant levels in the blood by 20%.  This means that dark chocolate may help to protect against heart disease and even cancer. However, the researchers were quick to point out that dark chocolate is not an acceptable substitute for five servings of fruit and vegetables daily.

Milk chocolate has a much lower effect, and drinking milk with dark chocolate also results in a lower increase in antioxidant levels. Volunteers had to eat twice as much milk chocolate as dark chocolate in order to obtain the same rise in antioxidant levels. The findings suggest that the protein in the milk binds the antioxidants, keeping them out of the blood and out of the body's tissues. Milk may have a similar effect on other antioxidants, such as the ones in fruit, tea, and red wine.

[BBC News - Health]

4:59:18 PM