Eating Chocolate May be More Important to Your Health Than Penicillin

Based on the observations of one Harvard scientist, you may be surprised to learn consuming chocolate may be far more important than anyone imagined to human health. In fact, the scientist went as far as to speculate the chocolaty benefits could even be greater than penicillin or anesthesia.

Vast are the perks conferred by chocolate, based on research documenting the beneficial effects of epicatechin-rich cocoa the Kuna Indians in Panama consumed. What's more, the incidence of four deadly and major diseases -- cancer, heart failure, diabetes and stroke -- fell to 10 percent among the Kuna.

So much so, some are calling for epicatechin to be regarded as an essential vitamin, and even altering the standard definition of what a vitamin really is. In fact, people may link the presence of the aforementioned diseases to epicatechin deficiency, one expert says.

That said, consuming any run-of-the-mil chocolate won't do. Scientists agree patients derive the most benefits from minimally-processed chocolate. Some quick tips to remember when consuming chocolate:

• Eat it only if you're healthy.
• Confine your choices to dark chocolate.
• Consume it only in moderation.