Dark Chocolate Health BenefitsTo get the best health benefits from dark chocolate...don't drink milk with your chocolate snack. Dairy products can inhibit your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in dark chocolate. So, forego the milk and drink a different beverage with your chocolate. If you have a sudden urge for a cup of hot cocoa.....make sure you drink the regular (natural) cocoa and not the Dutch cocoa. Dutch cocoa is treated with a mild alkali which destroys the phytochemicals found in regular cocoa.  Recent studies havegiven me more reasons to continue to eat chocolate. A ten year study tracked the chocolate consumption of heart attack patients between the ages of 45 to 70 years old. When the patients consumed a small amount of chocolate, at least 2 times a week, it cut their heart attack rates by 66%.
To get the most healthy benefits from a chocolate dessert...be sure it has at least 70% cocoa in the ingredients. The European government specifies a minimum of 35% cocoa solids while the United States government requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. The higher the chocolate liquor the higher the cocoa content. Good, quality chocolate is made from the finest cocoa and has a nice shine. A good quality chocolate will be smooth to the touch and not gritty.
The chocolate will break with an audible snap and have a blend of spicy, vanilla, and tree bark aromas. The chocolate should have a smooth flavor and linger in your mouth.
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