Valentine's Day is coming. Stores are stocking up with chocolate hearts. Should you give chocolate to someone you love? Can you eat it without feeling guilty? For years, doctors have been telling you that chocolate is bad for you. New research suggests the opposite.

I find that eating chocolate should not be lumped together with eating sugar and other types of candies. Eating chocolate may actually decrease your risk of developing:

? heart disease
? lung cancer
? prostrate cancer
? asthma
? diabetes

Chocolate is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are part of the natural system to protect your cells from the “slow burn” of living called oxidation. Chocolate is particularly high in a category of antioxidants called flavenoids. Flavenoids are the natural antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine.

* The Tastiest Health Food *

Several recent studies indicate that the flavenoids in chocolate provide better antioxidant benefits than red wine and tea. A typical 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar contains 205-300 mg of flavenols, while a 5-oz. glass of red wine contains 210 mg.

Chocolate rates even better in a comparison of the flavenoids catechins and epichatechins: A recent Dutch study found that chocolate contains four times more of these flavenoids than black tea. A 1.3 oz. chunk of chocolate has more of these two flavenoids than a five-ounce glass of red wine.

Another recent study at Pennsylvania State University found that chocolate's antioxidants have positive effects on cholesterol levels. Subjects who ate moderate amounts of cocoa powder or dark chocolate (22 and 16 grams, respectively) on a daily basis had improved cholesterol ratios of HDL to LDL. They also reduced LDL oxidation.

In addition to improving cholesterol profiles, it now appears that chocolate helps you keep your arteries flexible. Chocolate increases the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes the smooth muscles in blood vessels. This allows increased blood flow and has positive effects on blood pressure.

* All about Chocolate *

Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. The cocoa been is the seed of the cacao plant. Farmers grind them into a paste and heat it to liquefy it into chocolate liquor. The chocolate you buy is comprised of the chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and sugar. Chocolate producers add sugar to counterbalance the natural bitterness of the cocoa.

Like most seeds, the cocoa beans are rich in fat. The high fat content is the reason chocolate has a bad rap. The truth is the fat portion gives chocolate its health benefits.

Higher fat chocolates have higher proportions of cocoa. Higher cocoa chocolate has more heart-healthy flavenoids. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate have the highest flavenol concentrations. Choose dark chocolates with the highest total cocoa concentrations. Dove Dark has Cocoapro cocoa, a specially processed cocoa with particularly high levels of flavenols. Below is a list of other brands with high cocoa content.

It is important to distinguish chocolate from sugary candies. You don't have to worry about the fat in chocolate – that's the good part. You should however minimize the added sugar. Chocolates with high sugar content can adversely elevate insulin and blood sugar levels. With approximately 160 calories per ounce, if you overindulgence you may negate the heart-healthy benefits of chocolate with weight gain. As with red wine, moderation is the key. 2 or 3 ounces a couple of times a week is probably a good range.

Chocolate is a powerful antioxidant that is surprisingly good for you. So go ahead and share a nice rich dark chocolate treat with someone you love.

Al Sears, MD