There's more good news about chocolate--it raises HDL ("good") cholesterol and decreases the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.  HDL cholesterol serves to pick up debris in blood vessel walls and is protective against heart attack.  Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is associated with increased rates of heart disease (read more in The Cholesterol Article).

These positive effects of chocolate are in addition to it's blood pressure lowering effects and a lowering of dementia risk.  The indigenous Kuna people (islanders off the coast of Panama) literally have no age associated cognitive decline--this is attributed to there copious cocoa intake!  (Read more on Chocolate research and the Kuna).

Remember that we are talking about cocoa--not processed Hershey's junk!  A company called Navitas distributes an excellent powdered, raw cocoa that you can use in cooking and smoothies--just sweeten it with a little maple syrup or agave nectar.  There are also several companies making high-quality chocolate bars--Dagoba, Equal Exchange, and Terra Nostra to name a few.  You want your chocolate raw and as unprocessed as possible!

Read the study.