Chocolate for breakfast?! Why not? According to scientists, eating small amounts of chocolate daily may help protect against heart disease and stroke, as well as boost your sense of wellbeing. Thanks to cocoa beans, chocolate contains the same protective compounds called flavanols found in other plant-based foods like red wine and berries, which may boost your health in several ways.

• Eating chocolate in the morning may start your day with a “feel good” sensation thanks to phenylethylamine, a compound found in chocolate that triggers a feeling in the brain similar to that experienced when falling in love. ☺
• The flavanols in chocolate called epicatechins may improve blood flow to the brain and elsewhere—even more good news for heart health as studies show this may help control blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. 
• Research from UC Davis suggests that about 1 ounce of chocolate daily keeps the “bad carrier” of cholesterol called LDL from oxidizing, which is considered a pivotal step in the development of heart disease.
• Additional research shows a daily dose of dark chocolate rich in flavanols lowers circulating levels of an inflammatory marker which boosts vascular disease risk and other diseases related to inflammation such as diabetes.
• Epicatechins may also keep blood compounds called platelets from “sticking” together, and it’s these “sticky” platelets that gum up artery walls leading to heart disease and some forms of stroke.

Keep in mind though that chocolate is also a rich source of calories with almost 200 per ounce. Enjoy your chocolate as part of a diet with ample veggies, fruits and whole grains for an array of flavanols and other health-boosting compounds.