Health Tips for July 12

Health Tip: Choose Your Chocolate Carefully

Some kinds of chocolate, rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, have been shown to benefit heart health.

But all types of chocolate aren't the same, and too much chocolate can negate any benefits, the Cleveland Clinic says.

The clinic offers this additional information:

* Dark chocolate is richest in flavonoids, so choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
* Chocolate does contain fat, but it contains both saturated (unhealthy) and unsaturated (healthy) fats. Chocolate should still only be consumed in small amounts.
* Processed chocolate is higher in fat and lower in flavonoids, so avoid candy bars loaded with caramel, peanuts, nougat and other fattening fillings.

Health Tip: Understanding Liver Spots

Liver spots are light brown patches of skin that commonly appear in people aged 40 and older. But they have nothing to do with the liver or liver function, the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) says.

Instead, these areas of increased pigmentation may be a normal result of aging, or exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light.

Liver spots are most often found on the backs of the hands, the forearms, shoulders, forehead, and elsewhere that is exposed to the sun, the NLM says.

Although they may be cosmetically unappealing, liver spots are harmless. Bleaching creams or lotions may help reduce their appearance, and freezing or laser treatments may destroy them, the NLM says.