Chocolate is tasty, but new research suggests that certain kinds of chocolate may be healthy for the heart. Recent studies have been published in prestigious scientific journals sighting dark chocolate as being "healthy chocolate". Although white chocolate and milk chocolate are not, dark chocolate is actually good for you.

When healthy and high-quality natural ingredients are used, it is possible to make a truly "healthy chocolate" from naturally-grown, unprocessed, unroasted, raw cocoa/cacao beans that has little loss of the natural nutrients and lots of antioxidants.

Many of the health benefits contained in dark colored vegetables can be found in chocolate, because it is derived from plants. Healthy attributes include antioxidants (known for possible risk reduction for cancer and heart disease) and minerals, i.e. copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and calcium.

To produce a true "healthy chocolate", unprocessed raw cacao beans or cocoa powder must be used, which are untreated with alkalis (Dutch chocolate processing). Of all the natural foods, raw cacao contains the highest antioxidant concentration. Acai berries have the second highest content. Cacao in its raw form is beneficial in protecting the brain, liver and heart.

One of the heart health benefits of dark chocolate is Lower Blood Pressure. Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Cocoa is rich in flavonoids, which are chemicals derived from antioxidant-rich plants, and have a wide variety of nutritional benefits.

Healthy chocolate also contains benefits apart from protecting your heart: it tastes good and stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure. It contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

If the pharmaceutical industry managed to produce a patented product that offered all the health benefits of cocoa, they would likely proclaim it a "miracle drug". In fact, the health benefits of epicatechin, a compound found in cocoa, are so striking that it may rival penicillin and anaesthesia in terms of importance to public health, as reported by Marina Murphy in Chemistry & Industry Magazine.

Here is another important fact to remember when choosing a "healthy chocolate". The term "healthy chocolate" only applies to chocolate made from cocoa beans which have not been subjected to high heat by roasting, treated with alkalis or other chemicals, and adulterated with various additives like hydrogenated oils, animal fats like lard, corn syrup, refined sugar, dairy products, and chemical preservatives. Eating healthy chocolate, with its super-high ORAC value, can be an efficient and enjoyable way to boost your daily dose of antioxidants, reduce the ravages of free radicals and protect your heart.