Most people are in love with chocolate. It tastes awesome and even makes them feel in love. It seems like everyone is trying to eat more chocolate, but now they are can do it without guilt.

So, is it really that good of a treat for your health? Are there things to watch out for in the over consumption of products made with that delicious cocoa bean?

There are different levels of goodness and badness when comparing the different types of chocolate treats out there. It's important to become a little informed so that you can make the best choices for your health.

The reason chocolate has suddenly become a health food is because it contains cocoa, which has some pretty amazing nutrients in it. However, there are many ways to process it that you will want to become aware of.

If you know the most healthy form of cocoa and the least healthy form, then you will be educated on an important issue. You can make the most informed choices for healthy treats.

There has been some research into which foods fight free radicals the best. Free radicals are stressful cells in your body that contribute to the acceleration of the aging process.

Dark chocolate happens to be very high on the ORAC scale of the most health supporting, antioxidant foods. Next in line is milk chocolate, prunes, raisins, deeply colored berries and greens, and other fruits and vegetables.

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This basically means there is a protective quality in deeply colored plant foods that helps the cells to maintain a healthy amount of oxygen.

It is a nutrient quality that helps the cells of the body to become stable and healthy. Free radicals come from sugar, white flour, coffee, and other junk foods.

They put the body cells out of balance and contribute to the aging stress. So, dark chocolate is highest on the ORAC scale because there is less of the unhealthy sugar, fat, milk, and junk that is in the milk chocolate.

Milk chocolate is still high on the list, but has a lot less of the nutritional qualities because of the heat and the over processing. But, there is something amazing that is a lot higher than the dark chocolate and that is raw cocoa called cacao.

Cacao or cacao nibs are always the very best choice of all in the chocolate world. Try adding cacao powder to your dessert items instead of cocoa powder and you will have a substantial increase in health-giving properties.

Cacao nibs are little cocoa bean pieces that you can crunch on for a dark chocolate flavored little health treat. They can be sprinkled on top of desserts for a crunchy, deep cocoa flavor.

You can find some in your local health food store. Enjoy the best, try cacao for a super health boost.