Dark chocolate: A recent study by Italian researchers may add new meaning to those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that are a favorite of Valentine sweethearts. Eating small amounts of dark chocolate every day can reduce the inflammation that leads to heart disease, according to the study, which was published in the September issue of The Journal of Nutrition. Researchers at Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy, and the National Cancer Institute of Milan found that people who eat dark chocolate regularly have lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood, an indication of low levels of inflammation. But just how much dark chocolate can you get away with eating? Only about 0.23 ounces per day — or one typical-sized Hershey bar over the course of six days.
Depression: It turns out that people have a hard time sticking with face-to-face therapy for their depression: Almost 50 percent stop showing up to their therapists’ offices, perhaps not surprisingly since losing motivation is a symptom of depression. By contrast, a new meta-analysis from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, looking at telephone therapy, found that just 7.6 percent quit early.