Dark chocolate as healthy for your heart as red wine
Washington, Oct 15 : Resveratrol, a 'healthy' compound associated with red wine, is
found in cocoa and dark chocolate products, shows a new report.
The study has been published in the September 24 edition of the Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry.
Hershey's Center for Health and Nutrition announced the publication of the
research.
Scientists report that cocoa powder, baking chocolate and dark chocolate all have
significant levels of resveratrol, a naturally occurring antioxidant.
"This study shows that the levels of resveratrol found in cocoa and chocolate products
is second to red wine among known sources of resveratrol and forms yet another important
link between the antioxidants found in cocoa and dark chocolate to other foods," says
David Stuart, PhD, Director of Natural Product Science at The Hershey Company who
partnered with Planta Analytica to conduct this study.
In the study, top selling retail products from six categories were tested for the level
of resveratrol and its sister compound, piceid. The six product categories included cocoa
powder, baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet baking chips, milk chocolate and
chocolate syrup.
Gram for gram, cocoa powder had the highest average amount of resveratrol and piceid,
followed by baking chocolates, dark chocolates, semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate and then
chocolate syrup. In the products studied, the level of piceid was 3 to 6 times the level
of resveratrol.
When the cocoa and chocolate levels were compared to published values for a serving of
red wine, roasted peanuts and peanut butter, resveratrol levels of cocoa powders, baking
chocolates and dark chocolate all exceeded the levels for roasted peanuts and peanut
butter per serving, but were less than California red wine.
"Resveratrol gained widespread attention in the early 1990s when it was identified in
relatively high amounts in red wine, which is associated with the French Paradox," says
Debra Miller, PhD, Director of Nutrition for The Hershey Company.
"Despite eating a diet equally high in saturated fat as the typical American diet, the
French were shown to have about one-third the level of cardiovascular disease. Continued
research indicates that moderate consumption of red wine, along with fruits, vegetables,
nuts and lower amounts of red meat, may contribute to this lower risk of heart of
disease," the expert added.
--ANI
