As people dig into their Valentine's Day candy today, they may or may not be thinking about how healthy those chocolate hearts are.

But while chocolate is a high-fat, high-sugar food, there is room for it in a healthy diet, experts say.

"I will not live in a world without chocolate," said Karen Dahl, community education dietitian for Sharon Regional Health System at the beginning of her seminar on Thursday at HealthPlace in Hermitage entitled, "Mmmm ... Chocolate: How Healthy is It?"

Chocolate has been around for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations called it the food of the gods. Emperor Montezuma used to drink a goblet of chocolate before retiring to his harem. Casanova called hot chocolate "the elixir of love."

Mrs. Dahl said in the 1600s chocolate houses began springing up around Europe. In 1765, a Swiss man named Joseph Fry established the first chocolate factory, but it wasn't until 1847 that the first chocolate bar was made.

While many people crave chocolate, most are not addicted to it.

"Addiction and craving are two different things," Mrs. Dahl said.

She defined a craving as "an occasional intense motivation aimed at consuming chocolate." She said 40 percent of women report craving chocolate but only 15 percent of men have chocolate cravings.

There are many theories as to why people crave chocolate. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant found in the body. Low levels of the chemical may cause depression, and a chocolate craving may be a way of trying to raise those levels, Mrs. Dahl said.

Cravings also may occur when magnesium levels drop, which often occurs during pre-menstrual syndrome, Mrs. Dahl said. High levels of progesterone, which also occur during PMS, decrease levels of fat in blood, which also may lead to chocolate cravings.

Chocolate contains antioxidants called flavinoids, which could help protect the heart by inhibiting low-density lipo proteins and preventing plaque build-up.

However, chocolate also contains saturated fat, such as stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on cholesterol, and palmitic acid, which can raise cholesterol.

Just because a person is trying to eat healthy does not mean chocolate cravings should be ignored.

"I teach my clients, if they want it, go ahead and have it," Mrs. Dahl said. "I tell clients all the time. Define why you want to eat it, then have it. There's certainly room in your diet for a little bit of chocolate."

Having some chocolate does not mean going overboard.

"I remind my clients that chocolate is very calorie dense. It's very easy to overeat chocolate, so it's very important to watch portions carefully," Mrs. Dahl said.

She suggested some low-fat chocolate choices, such as cocoa powder, York Peppermint Patties, Junior Mints, Hershey's Sweet Sensations, Three Musketeers bars and Milky Way Lites.

Mrs. Dahl said to go for the good stuff when indulging in chocolate and to be careful not to overdo it.

"I try to get people to realize you have to eat mindfully and to taste and savor your food. Then you're satisfied with a lot less," she said. "So many times when you don't allow yourself to have something ... then you're going to binge."