Dark Chocolate: A Healthy Alternative

High blood pressure? Worried about heart disease? Try a chocolate truffle! That's right. Studies show that dark chocolate (not white chocolate or milk chocolate) is actually good for you.

Dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure. But that's no license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure -- if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure, but you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

Dark chocolate is also a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants are implicated in helping to prevent heart disease and other ailments. Milk chocolate also contains antioxidants, however, the milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate.

Just remember to balance the calories. Don't replace healthy foods with chocolate. Most people's diets have plenty of sweets. Switch those sweets for some chocolate if you're going to try the truffle treatment.