Dark chocolate is rich in chemicals called flavonoids,
which lower blood pressure and help blood flow.
Chocolate is associated with increased serotonin levels.
Although cocoa butter is fat, it is one-third oleic acid,
the same monounsaturated compound found in olive oil; one-third
palmitic oil and one-third stearic acid, neither of which
raise cholesterol.
The Mayans were the first to make a sacred drink of cacao. They
roasted and ground the beans, mixing the powder with chilies,
herbs, and wild honey.
The Mayans and the Aztecs used cacao beans as their currency.
For more than 90% of its history, chocolate was consumed
only as a beverage.
