Good news for the chocoholics among us. Dark chocolate seems able to ward off atherosclerosis by preventing white blood cells from sticking to the vessel walls. It also helps to restore flexibility to arteries. Both arterial stiffness and white blood cell adhesion are known factors that play a significant role in atherosclerosis.
Scientists also found that increasing the flavanol content of dark chocolate did not change this effect. What seems to be decisive is the content of cocoa. The darker the better, also because dark chocolate high in cocoa contains less sugar and fat. We cannot underestimate the impact in terms of calories of this superfood - the benefits of its consumption could be counterbalanced by its richness.