The tabloids and the nightly news seems to get quite a bit of milage out of taking things that are bad for you and finding a person that has suddenly discovered that it is good for you. I am not sure who it is that does these studies, but the studies are always just partially quoted anyway, and the stories are always misleading.
Coffee, chocolate, wine, smoking, etc. are continually being found just not that bad, even though everyone knows that they are. The big surprise is always that if you partake of these traditional baddies in moderation, they don’t kill you (at least not as fast). OK, I know that there are some benefits to chocolate and wine, but the problem is the way these studies are portrayed. Common sense and listening to your body will tell you that a little of either of these is OK, and that a lot of either is bad. The “news” wants to tell you that the experts have said it is OK, so now we don’t have to feel evil every time we partake. Alleluia, we are free from common sense!
What I think that most people get out of these reports is that it is time to party, ’cause the experts said it was good for us. Binge time! It doesn’t matter that the actual story said to use moderation or eat small amounts (Americans don’t understand “small amounts”, if a little is good, more is better). Sensationalism sells, but it doesn’t inform.