Branching out to something completely different from my usual blog fare, I explore the heart-healthy benefits of wine and chocolate. For wine, the redder the better and for chocolate, the darker the better.
Researchers say that chemical compounds in both wine and chocolate benefit the cardiovascular system and medical chemists have been working to isolate what those compounds are. The answer? It's not resveratrol, it's compounds belonging to the flavenol antioxidant family, particularly procyanidins.
I might also add; there is documented proof that organic chocolate and organic grapes have much higher levels of nutrients, including proanthocyanidins, than the "conventionally farmed" (read pesticide-laced, artificially fertilised and nutrient-poor) versions.
If you really want to do yourself good this way, eat organic!
My Godness! Only French and Sardinian wines are suitable, with prices ranging $100 to $20 per liter! ("liter" does not equals "bottle"), and only because differences in the process of elaboration, differences that are circumscribed to two regions, although the process of making wine can be copied (and it is copied) being the difficult or impossible part in this business to obtain the same quality in grapes.
Now the best phrase:
On average, the scientists found those two areas had procyanidin levels five times higher than wines from Spain, South America, the USA and Australia.
That is, the "propieties" of those region's wines are extended to their whole country ones: France and Italy.
My Godness! That is marketing!
I'll keep buying my 4 Euro a bottle quality Spanish wine, even though what the advertising, sorry, study, says.
Don't stop with Dark Chocolate - The ones you described still have cows milk in them. A deadly mix for somebody like me who's allergic to the stuff and you did mention milk ruining the benefits. Try a soy-based dark chocolate like those from Tropical Source and other speciality brands.
As to wines - all those chemicals (usually sulfur based) that they add to preserve the wines instead of other techniques are not really good for people.
On the topic of booze - nobody is allergic to cactus juice...