Chocolate: Superfood or Indulgence?

Maybe we don't have to feel guilty about sneaking dark chocolate kisses this Valentine's Day.

According to the researchers at the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition, chocolate could be surprisingly beneficial to our health. Even beneficial enough to be named a "superfruit," according to researchers with a distinctly biased bent.

So can all you chocoholics who swore you were getting your daily fruit servings with those little squares of dark chocolate rejoice? Not so fast, said NYU food studies professor and nutrition guru Marion Nestle (coincidentally, no relation to that other candy corporation).

"Think: marketing," said Nestle. "There is no such thing as a superfruit. And the last time I looked, chocolate was still candy."

Hershey, though, stands by its findings and said that when comparing antioxidants like polyphenols and flavanols in cocoa powder to those in fruit powder used to make juice, it found more in the cocoa, "gram for gram."

Antioxidants -- found in fruits like grapes, strawberries and pomegranates, as well as some juices, dark chocolate, green tea and red wine -- are agents that fight cell-damaging free radicals, which are associated with a host of health problems and can take a toll on the body as we age.

All fruits and vegetables have antioxidants, and the body needs all different kinds to reap the benefits. In other words, there's no such thing as a single "superfood."

Visit AOL Health to read more on the chocolate research.