HEALTH NOTES

Capitalizing On the Beneficial Effects of Candy

M&M Mars, Inc. is a company that manufactures candies, and has for many years. Candies, which were relegated to the category of junk food. Recently, the significant benefits of bioflavanoids contained in dark chocolate have come to the forefront of the research world. The positive effect of these plant chemicals on overall health has been recently touted in the media.

Bioflavanoids are found in dark chocolate, specifically cocoa, as well as red wine and green tea. According to Dr. Norm Hollenberg, Professor of Medicine of Harvard Medical School, which has entered into a collaborative effort with Mars to perform cocoa research, “the mounting scientific evidence is extraordinary.” He goes on to state that, “this is a scientific breakthrough that could well lead to a medical break through.”

Hollenberg, who is heading a two day seminar with 20 science and medical experts in Switzerland, will discuss the newest research on cocoa’s potential of health benefits. M&M Mars is currently looking for a pharmaceutical company to partner with in developing medications that use the component cocoa to help treat such disorders as diabetes, stroke and vascular disease.

Flavanols have blood thinning effect, very similar to aspirin. This has been recently identified. Two clinical trials have demonstrated that cocoa flavanols increased blood flow to specific areas of the brain, raising the possibility that cocoa may be utilized in the treatment of dimentia or strokes.

Other studies have demonstrated that cocoa may be effective in the treatment of vascular complications associated with long standing diabetes. Mars recently released CocoaVia, a nutrition bar which contains 80 calories and has specially preserved flavanols. These flavanols are usually destroyed during cocoa processing. However, in these new nutrition bars which are processed differently, these flavanols are maintained.

Do not be surprised if in the future you find cocoa contained in pharmaceutical products. The unfortunate thing about this is that these products will utilize substances that are made from refined or synthetic flavanols. At least this is the plan at this point. The reason being that it is cheaper and more cost effective to manufacture this substances synthetically.

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