According to the website, Nutritiondata.com, a one ounce serving of dark chocolate contains 19 percent of the US RDA for iron. Yet an ounce of beef sirloin only contains 3 percent.

Is dark chocolate really that high in iron? Why hasn’t anyone told me this?

Data from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference shows: Chocolate, dark, 70-85 percent cacao solids, value per 100 grams is 11.90 milligrams of iron. Beef, bottom sirloin, tri-tip roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0″ fat, all grades, cooked, roasted, value per 100 grams is 1.66 milligrams of iron. Beef, ground, 70 percent lean meat / 30 percent fat, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned, value per 100 grams is 2.48 milligrams of iron. So these two information sources state that dark chocolate does contain more iron than some cuts of beef, and not just a little more. (I’m currently holding a dark chocolate bar and the wrapper says 100 grams is 3.5 ounces).

Now I’m not suggesting that anyone use dark chocolate as a staple, or primary source of iron. The chocolate bar I’m holding contains 27 grams of saturated fat, and that’s way too high to eat the whole thing at once, or even in a day. Also, my post here is not an exhaustive scientific study. I just wanted to share an example (one of many) showing that beef is not the only source of iron, nor the highest source of iron, and that we may find there are many sources beyond what we have been told via messages in the mainstream media. My apologies if you were already aware of the many non-meat sources of iron, including dark chocolate.

I also found a great article at WebMD that is way too long to post here but talks about the "Health by Chocolate Rules" & pointing out that "The more nonfat cocoa solids a chocolate product contains, the more antioxidants it tends to contribute. And what about the fat found in the cacao bean? It's true that cacao contains some saturated fat. But most of it is stearic acid -- which studies have suggested doesn't elevate blood cholesterol levels as much as other saturated fatty acids. The other fatty acids in cocoa butter are monounsaturated fat (considered a desirable fat) plus another saturated fat called palmitic fatty acid. But here's where it gets confusing: chocolate products can have other types of fat added, like "milk fat" or "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" or even coconut or palm oil (both naturally saturated oils), in addition to "cocoa butter."

The WebMD article also offered up this: Now that the word is out that chocolate may have health benefits, special chocolate products are hitting the shelves. Two examples are CocoaVia and Hershey's Cacao Reserve.

1. CocoaVia (by Mars Inc.): This product contains cocoa powder with a higher amount of flavanol than your average chocolate bar. The company has also added cholesterol-lowering soy sterol esters (similar to the type in Benecol and Take Control margarines). They have also added B-vitamins and calcium and two antioxidant vitamins, C and E.

Whether all this leads to much health benefits remains to be seen. I can tell you that the products I've tried taste worthy of your attention. If you are interested in trying CocoaVia, try to find them on sale because as the amount of nutrients and flavanols went up, so did the price.

There are several types of CocoaVia bars. The Original Chocolate Bars contain (per 22-gram serving):

• 100 calories
• 6 grams fat
• 3.5 grams saturated fat
• 9 grams sugars

2. Hershey's Cacao Reserve: Want some of the benefits of dark chocolate but with the flavor of milk chocolate? Try the milk chocolate bars in the Cacao Reserve line by Hershey's. I found them in my drugstore. I tried the Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts with 35% Cacao. It was delicious, and a cross between a milk chocolate bar and a dark chocolate bar, I think.

Per 1 ounce (that's a little more than 28 grams):

• 162 calories
• 11 grams fat
• 5 grams saturated fat
• 11.8 grams sugars

In addition, I found this on another site about the best suggestions for chocolate to enjoy:

The Best Dark:

• Cadbury Royal Dark. Almond notes, smooth, consistent mild flavor.
• Dove Rich Dark. Very creamy with a strong chocolate flavor.
• Lindt Excellence Dark chocolate (85% cacao). Very dark, bitter and rich.
• Scharffen Berger Extra Dark. (82% cacao). Best eaten with fruit or sweeter desserts, like ice cream, to balance out the bitter flavor.

The Sweetest Dark:

• Godiva Demitasse (72% cacao). Sweet with a hint of bitterness, very smooth and satisfying.
• La Maison du Chocolat Cuana (73% cacao). This is the epitome of healthy and tasty, with a creamy texture, light flavor and barely any bitter notes.

Favorite Organic

• Green & Black's Organic Chocolate bars have a wide rage of flavors, but still keep the high percentage of cacao. These range from Dark 60-85%, with a choice of balance flavors such as Madagascan vanilla, mint, espresso, hazelnut and currant, ginger, and Maya gold.