I really like Dark Chocolate... especially the 70% or 85% Lindt. I always have around 10-20g of it a day and tastes so nice melted on my porridge... yumm Or maybe sometimes I have it with my green tea. I don't really take it for any health reasons, I mean my platelets are already 140 (ref 140-400), it's just so nice!
Having some chocolate seems to be good for you in many ways, best to go for the highest percentage because it will have lower sugar content. Anyone here regularly eat dark chocolate?

Dark chocolate 'guards against blood clots'
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...lood_clots.html

TWO tablespoonfuls of dark chocolate a day is good for your health, a new study has found.

The sweet treat has a similar biochemical effect to aspirin and can reduce the likelihood of blood clotting.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health made the discovery when 139 people were disqualified from a larger study looking at the effects of aspirin on blood platelets.

These "offenders" were told to to refrain from indulging in a number of foods known to affect platelet activity - including chocolate. But they could not break their habit.

Professor Diane Becker said: "What these chocolate 'offenders' taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack."

Researchers have known for almost two decades that dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and has other beneficial effects on blood flow.

The latest findings, which will be presented today at the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago, identified the effect of normal, everyday doses of chocolate found in ordinary foods.

"Eating a little bit of chocolate or having a drink of hot cocoa as part of a regular diet is probably good for personal health, so long as people don't eat too much of it, and too much of the kind with lots of butter and sugar," Prof Becker said.

I put 1 square of Lindt 85%-which is only 1/4 of a serving-in my greek yogurt with some nuts, and it tastes like a sundae!

I'm happy to see an article that once again supports that dark chocolate is good for you!

Thanks for posting this!!

I've got a clotting disorder and I've just begun to eat Lindt 85% dark each day. Now I'll be doing it for health reason too....I was just doing it cuz I liked it.

Lindt 85% is heaven! I don't eat it every day, but do eat it fairly regularly. I upped my intake when I was recovering from surgery because I was really craving it... seems maybe my body knew what it was doing

I love 80% and 85% chocolate, especially with some almonds and coconut flakes (unsweetened of course)

Chocolate is also very high in saturated fat.

I too regularly buy the Lindt 85%. Here are other ideas for you dark chocolate lovers to try as well:

1. Michel Cluizel 85% Grand Noir bars -- 1.05oz sized bars are a perfect chocolate fix.

2. Michel Cluizel 99% Noir Infini -- 1.05 oz sized bars are INTENSE chocolate fix.

3. Vosges Ozxaca 75% Bar with Chilis -- SPICY chocolate fix.

4. Sweet Riot 70% chocolate covered cocoa nibs: Individual tins are great portion control -- only 12 carbs per entire container. see www.sweetriot.com

5. Plain old roasted cocoa nibs for a crunchy chocolate fix.

6. Dagoba UNSWEETENED organic hot cocoa. This contains the natural cocoa butter unlike virtuall all other unsweetened cocoa powders. I take a heaping tablespoon, add hot water, sprinkle grated vanilla bean, cinammon and cayenne on -- NO SWEETNER -- very intense hot chocolate fix. (stevia or other sweetner may be necessary for some -- also, could make with coconut milk or heavy cream for less intense hit.)

And you know what is really good with chocolate? red wine. My DH introduced me to that flavor combination, and at first I was skeptical. But now I'm won over. It really works together.

So double whammy of goodness and antioxidants.

I've had four blood clots, so reducing clotting is a high priority for me. Based on this article, I will increase the frequency of my chocolate consumption.

I have never liked the taste of chocolate and wine together. Individually, they are great, but together they are yucky.

I LOVE Lindt 85% (1 or 2 sqaures at a time), and 99% when I can get it...

I like it made into hot chocolate with full fat milk.

My favorite is actually Green & Black's 70%. So tasty. I have a daily chocolate ration of a couple of ounces.
They do a baking chocolate that is 72% and that's good too. I'd be happy if they came out with an 85%!

Thanks for posting - articles like that make me happy

Milk proteins binds to the antioxidants from dark chocolate... and all benefits are lost. Why I don't use milk in my oatmeal in the mornings

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3185363.stm

I'll have to try that - where do you get it?

I don't eat a lot of chocalate, just a square or two once a month or so but it has to be good stuff. I like Dagoba Xocolatl because it's spicy, and Fair Trade has a good high% cocoa one too.

Nothing rules quite like pure dark chocolate!

And if you get one of the increasing number of high quality dark choc sweetened with erythritol rather than sugar or one of the other not so low carb sugar alcohols like maltitol or isomalt, you get to enjoy dark chocolate as the true health food it is - packed with so much heart healthy sat fat and the antioxidants Whoa mentioned - without any qualms about more than a couple of squares rogering your carb intake , and no unpleasant dodgy sugar alcohol side effects.

Cocoa is also a good source of bioavailable copper, the importance (and common deficiency in) Mike Eades discussed in his latest blog entry. I know a lot of people here find a couple of squares is plenty. But I find stopping at two squares really unsatisfying.

Unsugared/unmaltitolled/ unisomalted dark chocolate is a true low carb healthfood.