Chocolate's flavanols are good for you - but aren't found in most products

by Sarah Gilbert, Posted Aug 19th 2005 @ 1:22PM

To get the good stuff, you'll have to travel to Panama and meet the Kuna Indians. They have been drinking large quantities of flavanol-rich cocoa since time immemorial, and they all have excellent blood pressure. These compounds improve blood flow, and are great for your heart. However, most chocolate found on your grocery store checkout counter has very little, if any, flavanols. Candymakers have worked hard to eliminate the bitter compound from American chocolates. And now...they're putting it back in. Mars and Hershey's are both coming out with chocolate bars higher in cocoa content. But the nutritionists say even getting your percentages up to the 70s won't help your heart much; you'll still counteract any heart benefit with weight gain. (Maybe the Lindt 85% cocoa bars Deidre blogged about would be better - but you'll have to develop your palate.) My theory? If I'm going to eat it anyway, I may as well get the good stuff!

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Filed Under: Science, Ingredients
Tags: chocolate, dessert, flavanols, health

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-20-2005 @11:53AM k.lysander said... Sweet! Science reportage may actually benefit the public for once! I'm so pleased. This won't make me switch my Blanxart for Dove, but it might be a step in the right direction for parts of the country where Hershey's Symphony bars are the good stuff.
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