Chocolate? Yes, please.

As part of my on-going anti-aging-lifestyle-can-be-fun campaign, I offer you the ultimate in counterclockwise pleasure, the indulgence with benefits, the no-no that is now a yes-yes. That’s’ right: Chocolate. No not candy (still a no-no).Real chocolate.Dark chocolate. At least 65 percent cacao chocolate.Here some sweet results to ponder as you savor your square of chocolate:The Mayo Clinic gives its highest rating of “strong” to the scientific evidence linking flavonols (the phytochemicals found in cacao) with decreases in blood pressure. (Remember that blood pressure is a biomarker for aging.) The University of Michigan Medical School has placed dark chocolate on its “Health Foods Pyramid”-- a list that “emphasizes foods that nourish the body, sustain energy over time, contain healing qualities and essential nutrients” – because of evidence that it decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots and increases blood flow in arteries and the heart. Some research has linked chocolate consumption to reduced risks of diabetes, stroke and heart attack.Also very promising, according to early research, is dark chocolate’s affect on chronic liver disease (due to decreased high blood pressure and improved blood flow in the liver. High blood pressure in the veins of the liver is commonly associated with cirrhosis.)And there’s more: In early research, a drink with cocoa flavonols improved mental performance in people with mildly impaired mental abilities, so there’s now ongoing research about dark chocolate and dementia. We’ll have to wait to see about that. (I intend to wait while eating chocolate.) Also, to quote Mayo, “limited study suggests that chocolate may improve mood for a short period of time.” I’m not buying that. I think many of us have “studied” the mood-altering effects of chocolate over time – and found clinically defensible results.Remember, we’re talking DARK chocolate here. Not milk chocolate (Milk binds to antioxidants in chocolate making them unavailable) or so-called white chocolate (which isn’t chocolate at all and contains no cocoa solids). If you are accustomed to milk chocolate or “semi-sweet” chocolate, the 65 percent–plus stuff will at first taste strange because it is denser, harder and so much less sweet. It is, however, intensely, wonderfully, gloriously chocolaty. Once you try the dark stuff, milk chocolate begins to taste fake and sicky-sweet.Several caveats before you run out to the story to stock up on bars of 65 percent-plus (I like 77 myself) organic, fair trade chocolate bars: There are measurable amounts of caffeine in dark chocolate – which I think is a good thing. But, if you are sensitive to caffeine, watch it. Also, if you know you’re prone to kidney stones, be careful. Chocolate contains a substance that increases the risk of kidney stone formation. And be aware that chocolate may be a trigger for some (but by no means all) people who suffer from migraines.That said, the biggest caveat is probably this: The amount of (dark) chocolate studies have found to be most helpful, around 3 ounces (85 grams) a day, can provide up to 450 calories. As my dear friend Jenn Morton says: You can wear it, or you can work it off.