Chocolate Hearts
Yummy and good medicine?
By Janet Raloff
More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate changed hands in the United States on Valentine’s Day this year. The holiday’s total chocolate sales approached $1 billion. Yet this confection’s link to hearts is extending even beyond the lucrative candy business.
Chocolate and cocoa powder are derived from beans that contain hefty quantities of natural antioxidants called flavonoids. In recent years, research has correlated consumption of tea, red wine, and other foods rich in these compounds with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.