1.70% dark chocolate has been shown in recent studies to cut dangers of cardiovascular disease by 50% and reduce the risks of stroke, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

2. Bacteria in your intestines break dark chocolate down into ant-inflammatory compounds that reduce 'clumping' of blood. This reduces the chances of a clot that could cause stroke.

3. Daily consumption of dark chocolate lowered participants blood pressure by some 3 to 4 points. This was reported in 20 different studies on the subject.

4.You don't have to be old and sick to benefit. Young and healthy men in their 20's reported a blood flow increase of between 14% and 23%.

5. Dark chocolate can actually increase HDL, the good cholesterol in your body, due to it's powerful anti-oxidants. This in turn lowers LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means less chance of damage to arteries, thus protecting your heart.

6. The benefits of eating dark chocolate seem endless! Diabetics were shown in one recent study to obtain improved insulin sensitivity, further, it showed the same insulin sensitivity improvement in non-diabetics too.

7. 70% dark chocolate could even protect your teeth as it contains Theobromine, which can harden tooth enamel.

8. Your skin could be protected from sun damage by the flavovols you consume in dark chocolate.

9. A substance released by the brain called phenylethylamine is responsible for helping you feel happy and relaxed. This substance has been shown to increase on eating dark chocolate stimulating the production of the feel good hormones.

Choosing The Right Chocolate For Best Results

70% cocoa chocolate is what you're looking for, not milky mars bars. These don't contain sufficient cocoa solids to achieve the above results.