Professor Mike Cross

There’s little doubt that chocolate is a delicious treat and typically seen as a guilty pleasure but did you know that chocolate can also be healthy?

According to Professor of Chemistry Mike Cross at Northern Essex Community College (NECC) in Haverhill, MA chocolate might just be the “perfect indulgence.”

With high quality versions of chocolate carrying over 500+ natural chemicals and more antioxidants then a bowl of blueberries … chocolate can increase feelings of well-being, reduce high blood pressure, relax blood vessels and more, says Cross.

In a presentation called “Chocolate, The Perfect Indulgence,” Professor Cross will share his knowledge as both a chemist and a passionate lover of chocolate with audiences throughout the area this Valentine’s Day season. These presentations are all free, open to the public, and include a chocolate tasting.

Check out these presentations of “Chocolate: The Perfect Indulgence”:

Haverhill Public Library, 99 Main St, Haverhill, MA

Saturday, Feb. 10, 3 pm

Advance registration is required; call 978 373-1586, ext. 608

Nevins Memorial Library, 305 Broadway, Methuen, MA

Monday, Feb. 12, 6:30 to 7:30 pm

Advanced registration is required; call 978 686-4080

Wilmington Memorial Library, 175 Middlesex Ave, Wilmington, MA

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7 to 8:30 pm

Advanced registration is required; call 978 658-2967.

Burlington Public Library, 22 Sears St., Burlington, MA

Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 pm

Call 781 270-1690 for more information.

Groton Public Library, 99 Main Street, Groton, MA

Wednesday, March 7, 7 to 8:30 pm

Call 978 448-1167

Cross holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Utah where he specialized in oxidative lesions in DNA and RNA.

His presentation is part of NECC’s Speakers’ Bureau.   For more information on the college’s Speakers’ Bureau visit the website, call 978 556-3862 or email speakersbureau@necc.mass.edu.

With campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Northern Essex Community College offers over 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  Each year, 8,500 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu.