Antioxidants and Dark Chocolate – Part 3

And, interestingly, Dove Dark chocolate made by Mars, Inc., contains cocoapro cocoa, which is a proprietary blend of specially processed cocoa that has higher levels of flavanols than other dark chocolates. So high, in fact, that Dove chocolate is often used in medical research.

Research is ongoing to determine the actual effectiveness of absorbing antioxidants from dark chocolate in the treatment and prevention of heart disease and cancer. Some of this research is being done in the laboratory, other on animals and still others on human subjects.

Until research reaches a final conclusion researchers have not found any negative effects of eating dark chocolate, except for the issues with increasing caloric intake and the risk of obesity. Using smart decisions, calorie counting and exercise you can easily fit a couple of squares of chocolate into your diet and take advantage of both the great taste and potential health benefits. Remember to seek the advice of your primary health care provider if you have any metabolic disorders which may be impacted by the increase in sugar, such as diabetes.

References:

(1) Cleveland Clinic: Is Chocolate Good For Your Heart?

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx

(2) University of Michigan Health System: Dark chocolate

http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/dark_chocolate.htm

(3) University of Tesas Health Science Center at Houston: WorkLife Wellness Tip of the Week

http://son.uth.tmc.edu/news/detail.htm?id=1577467

(4) PLOS One: Plant Derived Phenolics Inhibit the Accrual of Structurally Characterised Protein and Lipid Oxidative Modifications

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0043308

(5) Chemistry Central Journal: Cacao Sees are a “Super Fruit”: A Comparative Analysis of Various Fruit Powders and Products

http://journal.chemistrycentral.com/content/5/1/5