1. Dark chocolate is a highly concentrated source of exceedingly potent antioxidants called flavanols and ranks as one of the most potent of all antioxidant foods.

2. As treats go, dark chocolate is a surprisingly good source of fiber. In fact, if you choose the right dark chocolate, for every gram of sugar in your “healthy” dark chocolate indulgence, you can get a gram of fiber! This is fantastic because fiber can mitigate the toxic effects of sugar in the body. (Dark chocolate is also a good source of zinc and magnesium.)

3. This confection is the only food that has been shown to acutely boost mood and concentration.

4. In many published studies dark chocolate has exhibited several heart-healthy benefits including reducing blood pressure, increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and improving blood vessel function.

5. Even though it is delectable, this “sweet” is low in sugar. If you eat my prescribed dose, you will only get about 1/2 of a teaspoon of sugar! That barely makes a dent in your daily limit for added sweeteners (which is up to 9 teaspoons a day for men and up to 6 teaspoons a day for women).