The gift of chocolate is a traditional way of saying ''I love you'' to a valentine - but now it can also be a way to say, ''I care about your health.''
''Chocolate and wine have gone from decadent to health-preserving,'' said Dr. Joseph Maroon, vice chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maroon is a Bridgeport native.
But to be healthy, the chocolate must be dark.
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Photo by Shelley Hanson
Sisters Teresa Strawn, left, of Moundsville and Margy Seachrist of Glen Dale sample a red wine Friday served by Casa di Vino owner Greg Myers in Wheeling. Red wines, such as pinot noirs and cabernets, contain healthy polyphenols.
''The chocolate has to be at least 70 percent cocoa - not milk chocolate,'' Maroon said. ''The wine, preferably, should be red wine. Pinot noir and cabernet have the highest content of healthy polyphenols.''
Polyphenols, such as resveratrol, are natural or plant-based antioxidants that can activate healthy, disease-fighting genes in the body.
''The compounds are good for your heart, brain and body,'' Maroon said.
And if one's valentine does not want to consume alcohol, concord grape juice also contains polyphenols.
Maroon noted both dark chocolate and red wine should be consumed in moderation. No more than a glass of wine a day is recommended for women and two glasses a day for men - and no more than an ounce of chocolate a day.
''Dark chocolate is known to lower blood pressure and help protect against hardening of the arteries, and it enhances mood,'' Maroon noted.
Maroon said he enjoys a dark chocolate made by Columbus, Ohio-based Maramor Chocolates. The company, he noted, now makes a chocolate infused with probiotics, omega-3 and vitamin D.
Maroon is the author of ''The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life'' and of ''Fish Oil, The Natural Anti-Inflammatory.''