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Published: August 30 2012

Buzz Fleischman - Columnist Page.

In the 1973 Woody Allen movie ‘Sleeper’, a health food store clerk wakes up 200 years in the future where he finds that many things thought unhealthy, including deep fried fatty foods and smoking are known by future scientists to be extremely good for you. In that world, a hot fudge sundae is the equivalent to a spinach salad. Does a truffle a day keep the doctor away? Let’s find out only 39 years later in the real world and discover numerous clinical studies have shown that truth is stranger than movie fiction.

Flavoniods, which are contained in abundance in dark chocolate, keep cholesterol from clumping in blood vessels, thereby reducing the risk of clots. Flavoniods. Here’s a word that ends in ‘oids’ that we like! Let’s not go there, but I’m also thinking of the new dark chocolate covered mints made by Altoids.

Can we go into a restaurant and order a side of flavonoids with our early bird special? No, but we can eat a couple squares of dark chocolate which contain more flavoniods than any other food. That chemical, in abundance in cocoa beans, has an effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping. Take two chocolates and call me in the morning. Now that we know dark chocolate is not only good, but good for you, the marketers will go crazy.

This is not a faux study by a doctor W. Wonka. Johns Hopkins researchers led to what is believed to be the first biochemical analysis to explain why just a few squares of dark chocolate a day can almost halve the risk of heart attack death in some men and women. 

This may cause us to significantly re-think the ‘food pyramid’. I would replace it with a chocolate lover’s gift tower from Godiva. Instead of Dairy and protein, at the very top would perch a basket of truffles not supported by fruits and vegetables, but a bowl of dark chocolate fondue in which to dip them. The base of the pyramid will be constructed of a large dark chocolate brownie embedded with the new dark chocolate M&M’s. Forget the coffee break, we’ll all get used to taking a chocolate break at mid-morning and a flourless chocolate mousse fondant in the afternoon.

 It takes about a dozen Hershey’s bars to equal the caffeine in a cup of brewed coffee so which would you rather have?  I know; me too! It looks like our diet is getting better all the time. What a great way to take your vitamins, fiber and protein, because they’re now adding that to dark chocolate too.

This news, which is to chocolate lovers what pork barrel spending is to a politician, will fundamentally change society. Maybe the after dinner cocktail will turn chocolate. Let’s call it a ‘Choctail’. Knock back a few ‘Cadburys’ after work with the boys at the local confectionary and don’t worry about how you’ll be able to drive home. You’ll drive just as badly. Let’s keep those scientists working. In addition to the news about the health benefits of a couple glasses of wine a day maybe they’ll find a link connecting Reese’s peanut butter cups and brain capacity. Pretty soon the restaurants will be adding a new twist to the dessert menu with a dish they’ll call ‘Life by chocolate”.

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