Ultimate Holiday Cookbook

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Holiday Treats with Health Benefits

Feel good about splurging on these 5 foods. Here's why.

Iain Bagwell, Peggy J. Noonan

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Chocolate

Health benefits: Polyphenols and flavonoids, two types of antioxidants shown to help prevent damage caused by cholesterol in arteries.
Latest research: Clinical studies show that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. Over time, eating one piece of chocolate―the equivalent of 30 calories―every day lowered systolic blood pressure by 2.9 millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg). This in turn may lower your risk of stroke or coronary artery disease.
How much to enjoy: 1 to 2 ounces. One 41-gram bar of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate or 9 Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses is just slightly less than 11/2 ounces. Choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.