There are many reasons why you should embrace dark chocolate.

We all know by now that dark chocolate (milk and white don’t make the grade) is good for you.  While for many of us (hands up!) this statement may appear a little self-serving, even the doubters might be convinced by this play-by-play on the process behind the health benefits of dark chocolate:

According to this New York Times story, the miraculous process starts with  the stomach and small intestine breaking down and absorbing some of the cocoa. The all-important flavonols (aka the good stuff)  in chocolate are digested this way, leaving undigested cocoa “matter.” Gut bacteria in the colon then break that down further into metabolites, which are absorbed into the bloodstream, working to reduce cardiac inflammation. The last undigested cocoa matter, now mostly fiber, ferments, releasing substances that improve cholesterol levels.  The last part:  the gut microbes that digest the cocoa increase the level of desirable probiotics like lactobacillus and decrease the less-desirable staphylococcus.

And if that’s not enough to sway you, adding dark chocolate to your diet may also improve your workout, according to a new study of sports nutrition.

So if heart health, brain health, improved cholesterol levels, cognitive health, better skin, a super-effective workout and gut health are important to you:  eat the damned dark chocolate bunny.