The potential heart health benefits of dark chocolate may be
only partly linked to the flavanol content, with white chocolate
- devoid of such compounds - also offering potential
cardiovascular benefits, says a new study. Beneficial effects on
platelet activation and aggregation were observed, according to
findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research , but
the effects were found to diminish about six hours after eating
the chocolate. “Therefore regular consumption of small
quantities of flavan-3-ol-rich dark chocolates may help to
sustain these effects for longer,” wrote researchers from the
Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health at the University of
Aberdeen, the Institute of Food Research, Biomathematics and
Statistics Scotland (BioSS), and CEBAS-CSIC in Murcia, Spain.
“Nevertheless, increasing consumption of such products will also
increase fat and sugar consumption, which may outweigh any
beneficial anti-platelet effects.” The health benefits of
polyphenols from cocoa have been gathering in