Professor Mike Cross

There’s little doubt that chocolate is a delicious treat and typically seen as a guilty pleasure but did you know that chocolate can also be healthy?

According to Professor of Chemistry Mike Cross at the Northern Essex Community College (NECC) in Haverhill, MA chocolate might just be the “perfect drug.”

With high quality versions of chocolate carrying over 500+ natural chemicals and more antioxidants then a bowl of blueberries … chocolate can increase feelings of well being, reduce high blood pressure, relax blood vessels and more.

Through a unique session called “Chocolate, The Perfect Indulgence,” Professor Cross will be sharing his knowledge as both a chemist and a passionate lover of chocolate with the public and residents of the Edgewood Retirement Community in North Andover on February 11th.

In this tasty lecture, Cross will discuss the joy that chocolate not only bring to our palates but the health benefits it can offer our brains, hearts and mood.

He believes enjoying fine and especially dark chocolate in moderation, say two squares a sitting, has enough benefits to assuage the guilt and valid concerns that come with consuming higher quantities of chocolate or eating a lower grade of chocolate.

With that thought in mind, Professor Cross’ presentation at Edgewood will also teach participants how to detect quality in the chocolate they are tasting.

Good chocolate and less guilt? Sounds like a Valentine’s match made in heaven.

This special Valentine’s event will take place at the Edgewood Clubhouse Auditorium, 575 Osgood St. North Andover, MA and is free and open to the public. Please reserve you seat in advance by calling Edgewood at (978) 725-3300 or emailing info@edgewoodrc.com.

The presentation being hosted by Edgewood Retirement Community (www.edgewoodrc.com) is part of NECC’s speakers bureau which provides speakers free of charge to area nonprofits (https://www.necc.mass.edu/community-engagement/speakers-bureau/)