I can rarely resist passing on good news like this. Most reports of the benefits of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, come with all sorts of caveats that the harm done by the fat and sugar might negate the benefits of the polyphenols. This German study, however, showed that a mere 6.3 gram daily dose of dark chocolate (another article said it was 50% cacao) had no negative effects yet resulted in a clinically significant drop in blood pressure among patients with blood pressures in the range of 130/85 to 160/100.
It's good to know my daughter is looking after my health, having given me for my birthday a 100 gram bar of 72% cacao "extra dunkle Schokolade" Swiss chocolate. Let's see, at that dosage it should last me about 15 days.... Right!Yeah, 50% is hardly dark chocolate in my book! Have you encountered Vosges chocolates? They have some combinations of chocolate plus other "guest" ingredients that sound pretty weird (http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/candy_bars_chocolate_chips)--the usual Mexican chilis and cinnamon, but then on to things lie wasabi, ginger, and sesame seeds. Admittedly, all I've tried is the curry and coconut bar--but I must say, it really worked! It was pretty much the best chocolate experience my mouth has ever had.
Janet brought home a dark chocolate and Thai curry bar that is really, really good. I draw the line at olives, however.
