Ready for some decadently delicious good news? Researchers at the University of Toronto have completed a study which they believe indicates that dark chocoloate may dramatically reduce the risk of stroke and death by stroke .
 
Nutritionists have long been extolling chocolate’s praises as an antioxidant rich food, and it has even been observed that it has many positive effects on the circulatory system.  Other studies have indicated anticancer and brain stimulating properties, as well.  Now don’t get too excited – this isn’t a free pass to eat as much chocolate as you can possibly manage.  As with any high-energy food, inordinate consumption increases the risk of obesity and care should be taken to choose high quality, preferably pure and organic sources of chocolate low in artificial ingredients and high in raw cocoa (where all the healthy chemical compounds come from).  Fortuitously, all it takes is a small serving of dark chocolate, ingested weekly , to provide your body with all of the stroke preventing benefits.

Luckily, most grocery stores and websites offer high cocoa (70-85% cocoa content ) bars. You should avoid milk chocolate and high-sugar chocolate bars as their antioxidant levels will be too low and the high sugar content will offset any benefits provided by the potent antioxidants. High-antioxidant cocoa products are even availalble in supplement form in order to provide a concentrated dose of these antioxidants . If you prefer, you can also buy concentrated cocoa in powder form and add it to milk or a protein shake for a quick and easy shot of antioxidants, remember to be aware of the sugar content.

There are two main issues with chocolate. First is the impact on weight. Many weight loss blogs and weight loss podcasts suggest that all chocolate is bad, however, I have found that there is no evidence to support this suggestion. In fact, the dark, high-cocoa chocolate can be consumed in small quantities to assuage that nagging sweet-tooth. Second is the opinion that chocolate can negatively impact the bones. Although consuming the "fake chocolate" products that are high in sugar and low in antioxidants could increase the risk of bone loss, the small quantities of "real", high-cocoa chocolate are completely safe for people with bone loss. Who knows, the antioxidants in cocoa may actually prove to be a component of a natural treatment for osteoporosis.