READING a positive story about the foods we eat is becoming a rare occurrence. We didn't need scientists or Morgan Supersize Me Spurlock to tell us that fast food wasn't doing us any health favours. But when everyday staples such as prepacked lettuce (washed in a chlorine solution) and chicken (bird flu, non-Irish in origin) get increasingly bad press, it leaves us wondering what on earth we can eat.

So it's wonderful, if somewhat surprising, that the next big health-food trend is more usually associated with self-indulgence and decadence . . . chocolate.

Eating chocolate has been linked to lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, increased blood flow, improved mood, increased energy and it also acts as an aphrodisiac. Cocoa itself contains niacin, magnesium, potassium, as well as other minerals, and the fat contained in the bean is either monosaturated fat or stearic acid, both of which are healthy.

The news is certainly cause for celebration among Irish chocolate lovers, of which there are many.

According to figures released in January, we have the highest per capita consumption in the world and manage to consume 11.2kg each of chocolate a year, spending on average of 112 annually on sweet treats.

But before you take this as permission to eat even more of the stuff, it's important to take the 'chocolate-is -great-for-you' message in context. As seductive as these claims are, the benefits only apply when the chocolate is of the dark variety (ideally containing as much as 70% cocoa solids) and not the milk or white sort. That it should be eaten in moderation is a given.

The presence of an antioxidant called flavanol is primarily responsible for dark chocolate's potency. This antioxidant is also found in red wine and green tea and it neutralises free radicals, which damage cells and also prevents clotting.

Because of the growing evidence that dark chocolate could play a role in relaxing blood vessels and assisting in the fight against heart disease, trials are set to begin at Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry in London on the effect of dark chocolate on 40 patients with cardiovascular disease. Professor of experimental therapeutics, Roger Corder, believes that there will be enough evidence of the benefits to the heart for doctors to recommend eating a portion of it a day, as part of healthy diet. Separate studies in Italy and Germany confirmed that moderate dark chocolate consumption also lowers blood pressure. This is because dark chocolate is a rich source of plant phenols, compounds which are known to lower blood pressure.

The chocolate industry is naturally keen to explore the possibilities that healthy chocolate offers. It's been threatened by falling profits and negative publicity from nutritionists who are trying to steer children away from chocolate, towards more nutritious options like fruit.

Chocolate company Mars has recognised the huge market potential for a chocolate specifically aimed at improving heart health. It's launched CocoaVia, a range of chocolate snacks, with each portion containing at least 100mg of cocoa flavanols.

Available in the US and online (www. cocoavia. com), the bars are actively promoted as being beneficial to heart health with the tag line 'Be Good To Your Heart Everyday'.

The company has spend 15 years developing a patented process that ensures the flavanols are not destroyed in the production process, and is in discussions with pharmaceutical companies about the possibility of developing a line of cocoa-based medicines.

Dark chocolate can be an acquired taste, particularly when we've grown up accustomed to the milk kind. It's slightly bitter and lacks the sugar buzz of other chocolate but aficionados say that once you've gone to the dark side, you never go back.

Mary Ann O'Brien, managing director of luxury chocolatiers Lily O'Brien's, says that her staff, probably because they are Irish, start out liking milk chocolate but eventually gravitate towards the dark. "It's something to be savoured, but it's not something you can stuff your face with, " she says. "Personally, I'm a 65% to 70% person but it depends on your palate. In France, they like 80%."

No matter what health benefits are claimed, all the studies point out that dark chocolate is high in fat and calories. Eating too much of it is going to outweigh any other health benefits.

On the plus side, if you treat it as you would a fine wine or a gourmet delicacy . . .

something to linger over and appreciate . . . the dangers of eating an entire block in one sitting is minimised. Connoisseurs advise serving a premium dark chocolate at dinner parties instead of a traditional dessert. Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon are two wines that work well but matching chocolate with something like Guinness is an unusual concept that also works.

Other suggestions include pairing chocolate with dried fruits or even eating a square together with a mint leaf, a novel interpretation of the mint-choc combo.

As befitting the head of a chocolate company, Mary Ann O'Brien is a firm believer in the benefits of dark chocolate consumption. "I'm five foot seven and nine stone ten, " she says, ""I eat it every day of the week and I don't get spots and I'm certainly not fat."

Ultimately, incorporating a few squares of chocolate into our diets shouldn't prove too much of a hardship . . . if claims of its benefits are ever disproved, we'll have enjoyed the experiment anyway.