By Donna Westfall – December 6, 2021

I knew it. I knew it! But now I’ve got Dr. Oz to back up my claims that dark chocolate is actually good for you.

There’s this thing called peripheral artery disease (PAD) that can affect your legs. 12 million American’s suffer from this condition. It’s caused by a fatty build up of plaque in the arteries. While it can affect any blood vessel, it most commonly affects the legs.

The amazing thing is that studies have shown that eating 1.4 ounces of 85% CACAO chocolate can quickly reduce pain and inflammation in the legs.

Personally, I find 85%-86% dark chocolate a little too intense and slightly bitter. I’d rather opt for 70%. It’s best to understand the difference between CACAO and COCOA.

Cacao powder is made from fermented beans that have not been roasted. They are processed at low temperatures and then milled into a powder.

Cocoa powder on the other hand is made from beans that are both fermented and roasted, and then processed at a much higher temperature.

Now that we got that out of the way. Which is healthier?

Cacao is higher in protein, fibre, magnesium and iron. Cocoa powder without added sugar is still high in nutrition and is a more affordable option. Gram per gram cacao is more nutritious.

Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends 1 ounce of 70% (or higher) cacao chocolate daily, and keep walking. It’s good for your heart and it’s good for your legs.

Recently, I had a craving for See’s Candies and Sushi; California roll. It was miraculous. A friend gave me a box of See’s Candies on the same day I found Sushi at Fred Meyer’s. The fact that the See’s candy box was wrapped in Christmas paper made no difference. The Christmas wrapping was quickly ripped off, box opened and candy popped into the mouth post haste.

The only thing I don’t understand is how it’s good for diabetics. That’s a question for another day.