According to an article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association by Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, at the University of Cologne, Germany, dark chocolate can be good for you. Among the many health benefits dark chocolate offers, two of the most exciting are its ability to lower blood pressure, and its high level of antioxidants that destroy free radicals – which may cause heart disease and a host of other medical problems.

Other potential benefits of chocolate can be found in its flavinols which may help reduce blood clots, and in the oleic acid in cocoa butter which may raise good cholesterol levels.