It has the highest amount of cocoa derived natural epicatechin compared to other supplements and also contains many more beneficial compounds from cocoa such
as cocoa flavanols and theobromine.
Not exact matches
As reported by Times, 15 this kind of discrepancy is due to the fact that «the percentage is a sum of
cocoa liquor,
cocoa powder and
cocoa butter — and
cocoa butter does not contain
flavanols.»
There are two types of antioxidants used in beverages: those that help preserve the product itself such
as mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract; and those with nutritional benefits (CoQ - 10, pycnogenol, berry extracts,
cocoa flavanols, etc.) Berry juices and extracts often are used for flavor
as well
as antioxidant benefits.
Acute (20)
as well
as chronic (21) ingestion of
flavanol - rich
cocoa is associated with increased blood flow to cerebral gray matter and it has been suggested that
cocoa flavanols might be beneficial in conditions with reduced cerebral blood flow, including dementia and stroke (21).
Other longer - term studies, such
as the 5 - year
COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) of 18,000 men and women, are now underway to investigate the health potential of
flavanols on a much larger scale.
He cited
as an example Mars company's CocoaVia
cocoa - extract supplement that promises to deliver 375 mg of
cocoa flavanols — antioxidants — in each serving to promote good health.
A phrase now shown to actually harbor some truth,
as the
cocoa bean is a rich source of
flavanols: a class of natural compounds that has neuroprotective effects.
«Dark chocolate, a high source of polyphenols, and
flavanols in particular, has lately received attention for its possible role in modulating obesity because of its potential effect on fat and carbohydrate metabolism,
as well
as on satiety... The research undertaken to date has shown promising results, with the possible implication of
cocoa / dark chocolate in the modulation of obesity and body weight through several mechanisms including decreasing the expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, reducing the digestion and absorption of fats and carbohydrates and increasing satiety.»
Plant chemicals in
cocoa known
as flavanols help the body synthesize the compound nitric oxide, which is critical for healthy blood flow and healthy blood pressure.
Contemporary scientific research into
cocoa's health benefits have focused primarily on its rich content of
flavanols, which belong to a class of physiologically active plant compounds known
as polyphenols.
As reported by Times, 15 this kind of discrepancy is due to the fact that «the percentage is a sum of
cocoa liquor,
cocoa powder and
cocoa butter — and
cocoa butter does not contain
flavanols.»
Evidence from the literature indicates that natural
cocoas are high in
flavanols, but when the
cocoa is processed with alkali, also known
as Dutch processing or Dutching, the
flavanols are substantially reduced.
Volunteers participating in the feasibility study were asked to refrain from foods already known to have a high content of
flavanols, such
as tea, red wine, certain vegetables, and
cocoa products (6).
People who consume a high
flavanol cocoa powder drink daily or eat dark chocolates have much more radiant skin
as compared to those who don't.