Have you heard of the health benefits of Dark Chocolate, Green Tea, and Red Wine?  Each of these items has been shown in clinical studies to be helpful in enhancing and protecting human health.  Dark Chocolate, Green Tea, and Red Wine contain compounds called "Polyphenols."

These Polyphenols help protect the body against something called "Oxidative Stress."  Oxidative Stress has been listed as a possible root cause of many conditions such as Heart Disease and Cancer.  More research needs to be done, but I think that there has been enough research showing benefit to make these substances part of your daily routine.  Like with anything moderation is key. Especially on the wine. ;)

Clinically, what I see is that people with Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue that supplement their diet polyphenols is an improvement in symptoms.  This may be an indicator why Fibromyalgia symptoms fluctuate.  As our nutritional status goes up and down it is possible that this may influence our health.

I have long felt that antioxidants can offset a toxic person's symptoms until they are properly detoxified.  This means that if a person has absorbed many environmental toxins as a side-effect of living in an industrialized world, the harmful side-effects may be in some sense alleviated by a good diet.  In  2006 a study showed that people that juice at home are 76% less likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease.  This is likely due to the protective benefits of antioxidants and certain plant biochemicals called "phytonutrients."

A Few Important Points: Green/White/Black Tea all have this benefit to varying degrees.  Red Wine is protective, White Wine isn't.  Dark Chocolate is protective, Milk Chocolate isn't.

In the United States, Dark Chocolate is now marketed by the percentage of Cocao it has in it, (ie. 65%, 80%).  Find the highest percentage of Cacao you can tolerate and have a square or two each week.  The greater the percentage of Cacao the greater the health benefits, but the closer it gets to tasting like "Baker's Chocolate." Try this for a few weeks and let us know if it has made a difference in your life.