By 1894, Milton Hershey established the Hershey Chocolate Company. Today, chocolate continues to be an important part of our culture. Now researchers are finding that it may also be good for your body as well. Chocolate and cocoa butter contain large quantities of natural antioxidants, called flavonoids. Antioxidants are believed to reduce the number of free radicals in the body that contribute to medical problems, such as heart disease and cancer.
Dark chocolate contains about twice that amount.
And unsweetened cocoa powder has the most - about two times as much as dark chocolate. Researchers studying the effects of chocolate fed a small group of people cocoa powder and dark chocolate. A second group of people ate cocoa butter. The investigators found the participants who ate the cocoa powder and dark chocolate had an increase in antioxidant activity in their blood and a decrease in LDL oxidative susceptibility. While much research still needs to be done, health experts add some caution.