Cardiologist Rossella Di Stefano, with the University of Pisa, in Italy, led a study of 26 people and determined that eating a combination of dark chocolate and olive oil improved cholesterol levels and blood pressure after 28 days. She says, “Fruits and vegetables exert their protective effects through plant polyphenols found in cocoa, olive oil and apples. We found that eating small, daily portions of dark chocolate with added natural polyphenols from extra-virgin olive oil was associated with an improved cardiovascular risk profile. Our study suggests that extra virgin olive oil might be a good food additive to help preserve our ‘repairing cells’.”

This article appears in the February 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.