Chocolate is considered the ultimate food indulgence. But eating chocolate may literally be good for your heart. It's not a new idea; after the Spaniards introduced the rest of Europe to chocolate from the Americas, the rich delight that melts in your mouth became a remedy for fatigue, fever and "faint" heart. Chocolate once had almost 100 medicinal uses. Now modern research is finding that chocolate-or at least dark chocolate-may truly have some health benefits.

What does chocolate have in common with red wine?

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, substances that protect the body's cells from free radicals, damaging byproducts created by oxygen during normal cellular metabolism. One and a half ounces of dark chocolate provide the same amount of the antioxidant phenol as a glass of red wine, which research has shown to have a protective effect on the heart. Dark chocolate also contains catechins, the antioxidants contained in tea.

Unfortunately, milk chocolate and white chocolate do not provide the same benefits as dark chocolate. Why? Cocoa beans are processed into dark brown chocolate liquor and white cocoa butter. The cooled liquor is made into dark chocolate, which is used in powdered cocoa and unsweetened chocolate, while sweeteners and milk solids are added to make bittersweet, semisweet and milk chocolate. Milk interferes with the body's ability to absorb antioxidants. Dark chocolate also loses its benefits when eaten with milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, but no antioxidant-rich chocolate liquor.

Good news... Stearic acid, the main saturated fatty acid in chocolate, does not raise blood cholesterol.

Almost good news... In a study of people with mild hypertension, those who ate dark chocolate every day for two weeks showed a slight improvement in blood pressure, while those who ate white chocolate showed none. The study was too small to be more than suggestive... but it's a nice suggestion.