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Results from a study suggest that cocoa is more beneficial to health than teas and red wine, in terms of its higher antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Agric. Food Chemistry (2003) reported on a study by Lee et al, which looked at the phenolic activity of tea, red wine and chocolate and found that chocolate contained higher levels of phenols than either of the other two.

A German insurance firm sent a letter to clients urging them to eat more chocolate if they wanted to cut the risk of heart attacks.
The German company, DAK, referenced a review published in a summer of 2004 issue of "The British Journal of Cardiology" that indicated that flavanols have a beneficial influence on vascular health.

In a study by Jenkins et al, including almonds in a heart healthy meal plan achieved a 35% decrease in LDL or bad cholesterol in just two weeks.
The mechanism behind this reduction is felt to be due to the presence of alphatocopherol vitamin E. In another study, Dr. Sabate showed that a high almond diet, about 2 ounces, decreased total cholesterol by 4.4%, LDL by 7% and improved HDL by 2% in people with normal blood cholesterols.

The health promoting benefits in walnuts seem to be associated with the phytonutrient ellagic acid and omega 3 fatty acids.
A study by Ros et al found that consumption of the equivalent of 8 to 13 walnuts everyday for eight weeks resulted in a drop in LDL and total cholesterol.

Phytochemicals or phytonutrients are plant compounds that promote health by helping to slow the aging process or reducing the risk for many diseases.
The science of phytochemicals is extensive, going back to the 1980s, but at the same time it is evolving with new studies daily. Phytochemicals act as antioxidants, work to enhance immunity, change estrogen metabolism, help detoxify carcinogens and can help repair DNA damage.

Beta carotene may slow the aging process.
Found in apricots, cantaloupe, papayas, carrots, sweet potatoes and other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, beta carotene may slow the aging process, reduce the risk of some types of cancers, improve lung function and reduce problems associated with Type 2 diabetes.

Anthocyanin is a Phenol, which is also a phytochemical.
Anthocyanin, found in blueberries, blackberries, cherries, plum and other red fruits and vegetables, acts as an antioxidant and may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer.

ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a rating system to determine antioxidant levels.
Bissinger's 60 Dark Chocolate has an ORAC of 261 and Bissinger's Dark Chocolate has an ORAC of 167. These compare very favorably to the average dark chocolate at 131, cherries at 67 and blueberries at 25.

James Joseph, PhD, Tufts University nutrition researcher, studied blueberries in the diet.
Joseph found in laboratory studies, that adding blueberries to the diet resulted in improved short-term memory, navigational skills, balance, coordination and speed. Joseph believes compounds in blueberries jump-start the brains' natural redundancy in ways that get aging neurons going.

A study shows that consuming cocoa and chocolate can improve cholesterol ratio, with a higher HDL to LDL ratio.
Pennsylvania State University studied 23 male and female subjects. They were fed 22 grams of cocoa powder and 16 grams of dark chocolate in their daily diets. Blood analysis found that subjects consuming the cocoa and chocolate had an improved cholesterol ratio, with a higher HDL to LDL ratio.

Cocoa powder and chocolate are rich in polyphenols.
According to a Dutch study, these compounds were found to contain four times the amount found in tea.

A green tea component may fight Alzheimer's.
A study released in the Journal of Neuroscience at the University of South Florida found that an ingredient in green tea may fight cancer and may also protect the brain from the memory-destroying Alzheimer's disease.

Dark chocolate has a high satiety factor.
The satiety factor tells the brain that a person is full. Slowly eating indulgent chocolate can actually help a person avoid excessive snacking an overeating. Our entire Spa Chocolate line is made with Bissinger's all natural dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate can lower blood pressure.
A study, published by the American Heart Association, shows that compounds found in chocolate, called flavonoids, can help the blood vessels work more smoothly and possibly reducing the risk of heart disease.

Chemicals in chocolate affect levels of the body's mood-affecting chemicals.
Nutritionists at the University of Arizona in Tucson examined 75 research papers published over the past two decades on the craving for chocolate. They decided that emotions, social values, sensory qualities, chemicals and the hormonal cycles of women all play a role.

Mole is a spicy sauce made with chocolate.
Mole (pronounced moh-leh) is a spicy Mexican sauce often served with chicken or other meat. Moles typically contain chiles, herbs, and chocolate, plus a variety of other ingredients, which are ground and roasted for several hours. While most moles contain chocolate, there are a few made without it. It's traditional to serve it on Dia de los Muertos - The Day of the Dead).

Praline has many meanings, including a chocolate with a nut-filled center.
In Belgium, pralines are the general term for chocolate candies with whipped or creamy centers. These types of pralines are often packed in a lovely box called a ballotin. Others refer to pralines as chocolate with a nut-filled center. Purists will likely insist that praline is a specific filling - a mixture of caramelized sugar and almonds or hazelnuts, with a minimum of 50 percent nuts - that can be used as a filling for chocolate truffles or bars.

Mexican hot chocolate is a treat with cinnamon and spices.
Mexican hot chocolate is a wonderful drink made with a grainy type of Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spices. Traditionally, it's whipped with a wooden whisk until it's very frothy.

American dark chocolate must contain at least 35% of cocoa solids.
In parts of Europe, regulations require only 32 percent cocoa solids for chocolate to be labeled dark. Dark chocolate is a broad category that includes bitter, baking, or unsweetened (meaning no sugar added), bittersweet (some sugar added), or German or sweet (a good amount of sugar). There's no dairy in dark chocolate - good news for the lactose intolerant, who can eat to their hearts delight.

At an average of 19.5 lbs per person, Ireland has the world's third highest per capita consumption.
Switzerland (22.4 lbs.) and Austria (20.1 lbs). The U.K. is seventh (17.5) and the U.S. is 11th (11.6 lbs).

The word mocha is originally Arabic.
Fine coffee beans were grown in Yemen, and Mocha was the port town from which they were shipped. Later, mocha developed a new meaning - the indulgent mixture of chocolate and coffee.

Chocolate has even less caffeine than green tea.
A 12 oz. cup of brewed coffee contains 200 mg of caffeine, while the same amount of black tea has 140 mg. Cola has about 50 mg, and green tea has 40 mg. But a cup of hot chocolate contains only about 14 mg. However, chocolate contains other stimulants, which is why it is banned in horse racing.

Spain was the first European country to enjoy the pleasures of chocolate.
The first official shipment of cocoa beans arrived in Spain in 1585. But the Spanish had been secretly bringing in the precious crop for nearly 60 years before that. In fact, in 1579 English pirates looking for treasure on a Spanish galleon mistook the valuable beans for sheep droppings, and burned the entire ship. It wasn't until the mid-1600s that France, England, and Italy started their love affairs with chocolate.

If you ask for couverture, you'll likely get coating chocolate.
Couverture is an extremely glossy professional-quality coating chocolate. It usually contains lots of cocoa butter, which helps to make it so glossy. Originally this term was used to describe a chocolate that coats or covers truffles or candy, but it now means any high-quality chocolate for cooking or eating.

Tempering is a process used to stabilize chocolate.
Tempering is a melting and cooling process that most chocolate makers use to stabilize chocolate, making it malleable and glossy. Without this step, the cocoa butter may separate from the chocolate liquor, causing those ugly gray streaks.

Cocoa liquor contains no alcohol.
Don't try making your chocolatinis with this stuff. Basically, cocoa liquor - also referred to as chocolate liquor - is the center of the cocoa bean ground down into a smooth, liquid state. This liquor contains roughly 53 percent cocoa butter, but no alcohol.

Americans consume 50 percent of the world's chocolate.
Americans indulge in about 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate a year. That's an average of about 12 pounds per person. Americans like their chocolate made with milk, and U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 1.5 billion pounds of milk solids each year, secondly only to the cheese and ice cream industries.

Bosco is a chocolate syrup.
Introduced in 1928, this all-natural chocolate syrup was developed by a New Jersey physician. Hugely popular in the 1960s and '70s, Bosco is trying to make a comeback by promoting its all-natural ingredients, which include malt extract.

Bissinger's annouces its new erythritol-based sugar free dark chocolate, which posts a 5 on the Glycemic Index.
When compared to glucose at 100, sugar at 65, maltitol at 50 and Splenda® at 25, erythritol is a real breakthrough.

The first chocolate "bar" came from England.
The chocolate bar did not emerge until the 1850s in England. Prior to that, people enjoyed almost all their chocolate as a beverage, just like coffee and tea. Then the British company J.S. Fry & Sons discovered that by adding more cocoa butter to cocoa powder and sugar, they could create a luscious solid treat. By the turn of the century, consumption of solid chocolate had surpassed drinking chocolate.