Photo by: loririce

Thank heavens we made a chocolate glaze for our donuts this weekend! A new meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal concluded that after analyzing the chocolate eating habits of over 100,000 peeps, the highest consumers (exact quantity too hard to measure) had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, 31% lower risk of diabetes, and a 29% lower risk of stroke. Being that most chocolaty foods are also rich in artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol, it’s important to choose dark chocolate, and small quantities each day. Such As:  a few squares of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Truffle bar, or any of the low-fat, low-cholesterol chocolate delights posted here.

The reason for chocolate’s ability to guard and protect the heart is it’s high concentration of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. However, beans and veggies are also rich sources of these almighty stewards. So, sounds like a diet rich in veggies topped off with some dark chocolate each day is a perfect plan!

More details in today’s USA Today.