A major study is being launched to see whether the nutrients in dark chocolate can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Research has already shown that cocoa flavanols taken as pills can improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels and the body’s use of insulin.
However the nutrients are often destroyed in the processing of making chocolate.
The pills contain cocoa (pictured) flavanols which are thought to lower cholesterol and blood pressure
The study of 18,000 people will be sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Mars.
The company, which makes M&Ms and Snickers, has patented a way to extract flavanols from cocoa in high concentration and put them in capsules.
SECRETS OF A SWEET TOOTH
If your child has a sweet tooth, you need to be doubly vigilant – because they will also prefer saltier foods, a study suggests.
The research, published online by the journal PLOS ONE, also found that children generally opted for sweeter and saltier tastes than adults.
Scientists in the US said their findings were a first step to understanding the biology of a sweet tooth, which could eventually help find a way to limit children’s sugar intake.
Mars and other firms already sell cocoa extract pills, but with less active ingredients than those that will be tested in the study.
JoAnn Manson, preventive medicine chief at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said the study would try to establish whether there were health benefits from chocolate’s ingredients – without the sugar and fat.
‘You’re not going to get these protective flavanols in most of the candy on the market,’ said Dr Manson. ‘Cocoa flavanols are often destroyed by processing.’
Participants will get dummy pills or two capsules a day of cocoa flavanols for four years, and neither they nor the study leaders will know who is taking what during the study. The flavanol capsules are coated and have no taste, said Dr Manson, who has tried them herself.
In another part of the study, participants will be given dummy pills or multivitamins containing a broad range of nutrients.
Previous studies have suggested that cocoa flavanols could help dementia sufferers.
Ian Macdonald from the University of Nottingham gave 20 volunteers different types of cocoa with high and low levels of flavanols – ranging from 450mg to 13mg per cup.
The researchers believe the pills could reduce people's risk of heart attacks and strokes
They were then given brain scans while being asked to perform tasks to stimulate mental activity.
The studies showed the flavanol-rich drink increased blood flow to the brain’s grey matter. Scientists believe flavanols work by dilating the blood vessels.
Dr Macdonald said: ‘This raises the possibility that certain food components like cocoa flavanols may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function among older adults or for others in situations where they may be cognitively impaired, such as fatigue.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2582564/Could-CHOCOLATE-pill-prevent-heart-attacks-strokes-Tablet-containing-healthy-nutrients-goes-trial.html#ixzz2wLqd3hio
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