[Nubella News] - Eating candy loaded with disease-fighting flavanols may help you protect your brain and heart even more than health experts first thought.

Dr. Harold Schmitz, chief science officer with Mars, Inc., says new research shows flavanols can boost blood flow in the brain and cardiovascular system, even in menopausal women with elevated cholesterol, a known risk for heart disease.

"We are excited by this research as it provides promising evidence that cocoa flavanols may have an important role not only in treating, but also possibly preventing, a range of health issues related to blood flow problems," he says. "This new science sets the stage for the potential development of flavanol-based products useful for a wide variety of important public health issues impacted by decreased blood flow."

Just what are 'flavanols?'

Based in Hackettstown, N.J., Mars, the world's largest confectioner, has conducted and paid for the majority of research on cocoa flavanols during the past 15 years.

Flavanols - also known as "phytochemicals" and "flavonoids," and also spelled "flavonols" - are naturally occurring compounds found in coca beans used to make chocolate; certain fruits and vegetables; red wine; and black and green tea.

Previous research shows that flavanol-rich cocoa can decrease the risk of blood clots. In addition, a Mars-funded study with Harvard Medical School found that unprocessed cocoa can reduce the risk of cancer.

Scientists point to Panama's isolated Kuna Indians, who have remarkably low levels of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, despite eating the same amount of salt as Western people. The difference is the Kuna also eat high levels of cocoa.

In candy, flavanols are found in unprocessed coca beans. However, the harvesting and processing that take foods from the fields to your table reduce substantially the amount of flavanols in what you eat.

Mars uses a secret flavanol-retaining process in making its new line of heart-healthy snacks that contain at least 100 mg of cocoa flavanols per serving.

The latest study by Mars appears in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology.

Tips on eating chocolate - and not gaining weight

Like most major food companies, Mars is trying to stem criticism about how food manufacturers have contributed to the country's obesity problem with sugary, calorie-laden products. The manufacturers also are struggling to answer calls from consumers for healthier snacks, such as candy bars and chips.

Critics also note that most of the research on cocoa's flavanol benefits are paid for by the chocolate industry.

Meanwhile, nutritionists and dietitians note that most chocolate products contain high levels of fats and sugars, which could negate the flavanols, but more flavanol-enriched items are hitting the shelves.

Beth Klos, a registered dietitian at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, cautioned people not to go wild eating chocolate. Writing on Aetna InteliHealth, she says eating one chocolate bar a day above your calorie needs translates to a four-pound weight gain in one month.

"Having chocolate in small portions is the key," she says.

Here are her tips on working cocoa-containing products into your diet without affecting your waistline:

•  Limit yourself to a small piece of chocolate, such as a bite-sized piece or about one-third of a bar.
 
•  Choose dark chocolate, if not heavily processed,  and new high-flavonoid chocolate and cocoa products, rather than milk chocolate or Dutch processed products.

•  Make sure the first ingredient listed on the product label is cocoa solids or mass or chocolate liquor, not sugar.
 
•  Pick a chocolate-flavored product for your calcium supplement.

•  Drink a cup of hot chocolate made with low-fat milk or soymilk, including low-calorie, low-sugar hot chocolates with extra calcium.

•  Enjoy a berry or small piece of fruit dipped in chocolate.

"When you eat that little nip of chocolate, savor and enjoy!" Klos writes on Aetna InteliHealth. "And if you are craving more, consider the other flavonoid-rich foods with fewer calories, such as grapes, blueberries, strawberries and spinach. These are smart, colorful and flavorful ways to keep your diet balanced."

Source: Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology

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