Healthy Food Choices: Chocolate

Video Transcript

MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we're going to talk about chocolate. You have high blood pressure? Eat a truffle. You're worried about cardiovascular disease? Grab a bon-bon. The latest medical research has shown that chocolate, dark chocolate not white or milk chocolate is actually good for us. It can help lower blood pressure. Also, dark chocolate contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that help quench free radicals that had been related to cardiovascular disease and other ailments. However, milk chocolate and white chocolate do not have the same benefits. For example, you're not going to get these benefits from pudding or hot chocolate made with milk. It appears that milk actually decreases the absorption of the antioxidants. So if you're looking for a healthy candy alternative or a way to lower your blood cholesterol--blood pressure, excuse me, or your risk for a cardiovascular disease, order dark chocolate, number one. Number two, make sure that you don't have milk with it as it may decrease the absorption of the antioxidants. And number three, make sure you use it in moderation and that you make up for the extra calories by decreasing your caloric intake elsewhere.