By Peggy O'Farrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

In theory, Alliea Phipps should never have to worry about high blood pressure.

The Norwood woman's favorite indulgence is dark chocolate - in bite-size nuggets, foil-wrapped Kisses, sometimes fondue.

So Phipps wasn't at all surprised when a study in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association said dark chocolate - in moderation - might help ward off hypertension.

"I've never had a problem with high blood pressure, and when I heard about the study, I said, 'no wonder,' " says Phipps, 38.

But don't abandon the gym for the candy store just yet, local experts say: Science doesn't have enough data to prove that chocolate is as beneficial for the heart as it is for chocoholics' souls.

"All you can say is that, at best, the news raises interest in the effectiveness of chocolate for high blood pressure and heart disease," says Dr. Craig Sukin of Cardiology Associates of Cincinnati.

In the study, adults with mild hypertension ate a 3-ounce portion of chocolate daily for two weeks. Half got dark chocolate and half white chocolate. Only the subjects who ate dark chocolate showed improved lower blood pressure: Their systolic pressure (the top number) dropped about 5 points on average, while the diastolic number dropped about 2 points. Researchers believe the dark chocolate was beneficial because it contains polyphenols, a kind of antioxidant also found in fruits, vegetables and red wine.

That got us thinking: Surely there must be other benefits to chocolate beyond the sheer bliss it produces in devotees. Among them:

• Polyphenols: Plant-based antioxidants that help fight heart disease and some cancers.

• Magnesium: A mineral that aids enzyme processes and helps nerve and muscle function.

• Zinc: A mineral that aids enzyme and metabolism function, helps wound healing, and helps regulate taste, smell, sexual maturation and growth.

• Copper: A mineral that aids enzyme activity to help regulate the nervous system, produce energy, form connective tissue and metabolize some nutrients.

• Iron: A mineral that helps build red blood cells and muscle.

• Some heart-healthy (monounsaturated) fats.

But that doesn't mean it's time to replace soy and your spinning class with a candy bar, says Pat Streicher, registered dietitian and manager of the Cholesterol Center at Jewish Hospital.

"If I have a patient who loves chocolate, I tell them it's OK to have it occasionally. Occasionally is maybe once every couple of months."

Streicher suggests keeping a mini chocolate bar or bite-sized pieces handy. But moderation isn't everyone's strong suit.

"If you can manage the bite-sized bars, go for it. But I'm picturing the two-pound Cadbury bars," she says.