Chocolate and Heart Health

Brilliant news for chocoholics: "A large number of studies have demonstrated that chocolate, and dark chocolate in particular, can help lower blood pressure, decrease the stickiness of platelets and improve the function of arteries — all of which relate to reducing your risk of getting a heart attack," says Debora Yost in her book Heal Your Heart with Wine and Chocolate.

What's so special about dark chocolate?

The more cocoa in chocolate, the more cholesterol-lowering antioxidants called flavanols, which is why you should opt for the bittersweet dark variety and steer clear of the white type, which actually contains no cocoa at all.