"The Hershey Company is continuously looking for opportunities to offer products that support the balanced lifestyles of today's health-conscious consumers," said Debra Miller, Ph.D., Director of Nutrition, The Hershey Company. "This one-two punch of the Yale-Griffin research confirming chocolate's vascular health benefits, combined with Bob Greene's Best Life seal, makes Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate a sensible option for people looking for small indulgences."

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center study is the largest study of its kind to research the short-term benefits of solid dark chocolate and cocoa containing beverages on blood pressure and endothelial function (blood vessel function). The results of the study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that consuming Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate (75g) as well as Hershey's Natural Cocoa (22g) lowered blood pressure and improved endothelial function in 45 participants TWO hours after consumption.