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"flavanols" news and stories

More health benefits attributed to cocoa

Flavanols are the chemicals in chocolate, as well as in wine and teas, that are responsible for many of the nutritional bonuses that it offers, including improved circulation and general heart health. These antioxidants have also been shown to increase the flow of blood to the brain in research presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Increased blood flow to the brain has been associated with improved cognitive performance in healthy people, as it carries more oxygen to the brain than when high-flavanol cocoa is not eaten. Since one of the symptoms of dementia is a decrease in the flow of blood to the brain, scientists think that cocoa that is high in flavanols could be used to decrease the impact of the disease.

Unfortunately, many commercial chocolates are low in flavanols, so you probably won't experience any of the benefits demonstrated by this study if you eat an extra Snickers bar. The reason for this is that flavanols add a bitter taste to chocolate, which many manufacturers - especially of sweet milk chocolates - prefer to eliminate from their final products. An exception to this is CocoaVia, which is specifically infused with flavanols. CocoaVia aside, the highest concentration of flavanols is found in cocoa, meaning that dark chocolate is a better choice for your health than milk chocolate, but a cup of hot cocoa is going to be your best bet.

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Filed under: Science, Did you know?, Health & Medical, Ingredients, Drink Recipes

Scientists identify healthy chocolate chemical

A team of scientists from the U.S. and Germany have pinned down one of the chemicals responsible for chocolate's positive effects on the heart. While it's been known for some time that a group of chemicals called flavanols--found in tea, wine and cocoa--are good for the vascular system, these recent findings identify a specific chemical, epicatechin, as linked to improved circulation and heart health. Scientists from University of California, Davis, Harvard Medical School and the Heinrich-Heine University of Duesseldorf, Germany published the results of their study in the January 17 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The abstract is available here.

One part of the study observed the Kuna Indians, who live on the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama. The Kuna consume several cups of flavanol-rich cocoa every day and enjoy low levels of heart disease. Scientists who observed Kuna who live on the mainland and drink far less cocoa noted that they had poorer cardiovascular health. A UC Davis release explains.

Filed under: Science, Magazines, Ingredients

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

dove dark chocolateTo 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

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