Seriously.
Some research that’s being published tomorrow indicates a minor, but measurable, decrease in blood pressure in people that eat about a 1" square (6.3 grams) of 50% cacao chocolate daily. No change was found in the control group that ate white chocolate.
It is worth noting that you can’t go overboard - in addition to the flavanols, chocolate packs a lot of calories and fat.
I think I’ll skip right past the lightweight 50% stuff and keep my 65%.
Hmmm. So dark chocolate is better than white chocolate. How about milk chocolate? ::looks hopeful::
Nope. It has to be a dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is usually in the 10 to 35% range.
I know this has nothing to do with the op, but when I was taking my diabetes classes, they said that if we must eat chocolate, to eat only dark chocolate, and not any other kind…except the fake kind, which is ok, providing there is no sugar in it.
I guess that settles it. I’m doomed to die of a coronary. 
(I really dislike dark chocolate. It’s harsh and bitter.)
Suck it up. 
I have noticed a serious increase in shelf space given over to “boutique” dark chocolates. Even Hersheys has a line of very dark chocolates of varying intensities of cacao chocolate. Dunno if the tail is wagging the dog here.
I DO know that it’s hard to believe that even one square lowers your blood pressure since when I’ve gone down that dark and mysterious road, my b.p. has skyrocketed.
Cartooniverse
Hershey’s Extra Dark (65%) with Cranberries, Blueberries and Almonds.
Nummy. 
Three and a half 3.52 ounce bars sitting in my fridge right now. I buy 2-3 every time I go grocery shopping.
White chocolate isn’t even chocolate.
<plans to acquire a taste for dark chocolate>
I’ve got to point this thread out to the wife. Unfortunately, I hate dark chocolate, so I’ll have to stick with the tried and true “pet cats” method of blood pressure reduction.
(That’s “pet” as a verb. Just having pet cats does nothing to** reduce** your blood pressure.)
So, the science is finally catching up with the medicinal chocolate I’ve been eating for years.
Dark chocolate is the best for chocolate with any stuff in it (nuts or cremes or whatever). Milk chocolate just doesn’t give you that contrast of flavours. And dark orange chocolate - ooooh.
As it turns out, this is exactly what i do. Every other day or so, I eat a small bite of dark chocolate after dinner as my dessert. It’s very satisfying, and strangely, i rarely feel the urge to eat more. A bar will last me a couple weeks or more.
One more reason to love my major professor: he was pretty “meh” about the whole prospectus, courses, proposal, dissertation thing… but darned if you weren’t* required * to like 72% chocolate or higher. I leveled out at 85%, myself.
I saw the thread title, clicked on it, and before it could load, said to myself…“oooh, chocolate, there’s some in my bag right behind me, must eat it NOW” and then turned back to read the thread. With 71% dark chocolate in my mouth. Trader Joe’s, Unique Origin Varietal Chocolate, Ocumare (the orange label) only 50 calories per 10g square (like I eat only one square) and 2g of sugar per serving, well within the 10g limit for a gastric bypass patient. So good, and now, good for me! No wonder I crave it when stressed…I’m just self-medicating!