Is Chocolate Really Good for You?
Yes, say researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, who released data showing that dark chocolate lowers your risk of stroke, and lessens the likelihood of death after a stroke, as well. It’s not the chocolate that’s so healthy; it’s a flavonoid called epicatechin, which is present in the original cocoa beans from which chocolate is made. (It’s easy to forget that chocolate comes originally from plants.) The plant-based chemical relaxes blood vessels and clears cholesterol, easing blood flow to and from the heart.

Flavonoids are present primarily in dark chocolate; the process used to create milk chocolate dilutes them. So the M&Ms and Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses don’t count.

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