Dear Health Conscious Friend,

Some like theirs sweet, some like theirs bitter, others prefer the smooth version and others go for the chilli... Personally, I prefer the dark, rich variety. And no, I'm not talking about men... I'm talking about the tasty treat that most of us would go to the ends of the earth for... chocolate. But alas, we all hear how bad it is for us! What if I told you it isn't all bad...

Edward Martin tells us how this super snack could actually benefit us.

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. There comes a time in everyone's lives when they've had enough of popping prescription pills. They want a natural alternative... but should you combine your prescribed meds with a supplement? Yes? No? How? Dr Wright gives us some answers...

Could chocolate really lower your risk of a stroke?
Edward Martin
Editor, House Calls

Here's some sweet news for chocolate lovers: Your favourite treat may help prevent strokes and lower the risk of death when they do happen.

But don't start buying chocolate bars in bulk just yet.

Two new studies that will be presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting find that the antioxidant power of this indulgence could be unlocked with just small amounts of chocolate.

In other words, you still can't snack your way to good health.

One study followed 44,489 people who ate one chocolate bar per week. One bar a week - that's discipline. But it paid off... because these moderate snackers were 22% less likely to suffer a stroke than people who didn't indulge.

In another study, researchers looked at data on 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week. For those of you who don't know the metric system, that's slightly more than that one chocolate bar.

And that study found these chocolate eaters were 46% less likely to die after a stroke than those who ate no chocolate.

The key to chocolate's success is in its flavonoids, antioxidants that have been linked to lower stroke risk on other studies. Chocolate has also been linked to improved heart health, lower blood pressure and reduced stress.

I know what you're thinking - sign me up already! Many people believe any reason to eat chocolate is a good one.

But this isn't a license to shovel down chocolate after chocolate. Remember: The two new studies used very small amounts of chocolate, eaten once a week - and that's how a treat like this should be enjoyed: Small amounts, on occasion.

If you are going eat chocolate, limit yourself to the dark stuff, because those also tend to be the lowest in sugar. But you don't need to eat chocolate bars at all to get the health boost - because the real powers of chocolate come from the cocoa.

Add pure cocoa powder to drinks like coffee. You can even find ways to work it into healthy recipes.

If you like Mexican food, teach yourself to make mole sauce - it's a delicious way to get cocoa into your meals without all the sugar. It's also packed with chilli peppers, which have plenty of health benefits of their own.

It might not satisfy your sweet tooth - but it'll be much better for your waistline.

Fighting depression naturally

Q: I'm done with antidepressants. I'd like to wean myself off my prescription and start taking St John's wort instead. Is it safe to start taking the St John's wort while I'm still taking my prescription?

Dr. Wright: My colleague and regular Nutrition & Healing columnist Kerry Bone is a herbalist with years of experience using St John's wort for treating patients with depression. Here is what Kerry has to say:

Under professional supervision - and this is an important caveat - there appears to be little problem associated with combining St John's wort with most antidepressants. (There's less of a problem than with combining antidepressants themselves, yet most doctors don't hesitate to do that.) But there are a few important exceptions to be aware of.

St John's wort actually decreases the activities of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs amitriptyline and nortriptyline. Right now there aren't any published case reports of problems associated with using other tricyclic antidepressants with St John's wort.

The situation for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) drugs is a little more complex. A few case reports blame the combination of St John's wort and SSRIs (mainly sertraline) for causing serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome is a rare adverse reaction that can be caused by taking SSRIs on their own or by combining SSRIs with other antidepressant drugs - particularly the older class of antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Basically, what happens is that too much serotonin is formed in the brain, which leads to symptoms such as agitation, tremors, diarrhoea and mental overstimulation. Most of the supposed cases of serotonin syndrome resulting from St John's wort and SSRIs have occurred in elderly people, which suggests that they are particularly vulnerable.

That being said, the quality of all these case reports is low. And in 22 years as a herbalist, I have never witnessed such a reaction in my clinic. So if this reaction really does occur, it's quite rare. In my opinion, a more plausible theory is that the SSRIs caused the adverse reaction on their own, and the St John's wort was merely an innocent bystander.

Whatever the case, it's still good to be cautious. So before you decide to take St John's wort - with or without antidepressant drugs - make sure you consult with a professional skilled and knowledgeable in natural medicine."

For a list of such physicians in your area, contact the South African Society of Integrative Medicine on (021) 887-5364 or email lucia@integrativemedicine.co.za.