HERSHEY, Pa., Dec 1, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Antioxidants in chocolate and
cocoa are highly associated with the amount of non-fat, cocoa-derived
ingredients in the product, U.S. researchers say.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found
products with the highest level of flavanol antioxidants were cocoa powders,
followed by unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate and semi-sweet chips,
milk chocolate and chocolate syrup
Cocoa flavanols -- such as epicatechin and catechin -- have been associated with
cardiovascular health benefits. The researchers found large differences in the
amounts of catechin and attributed them to differences in manufacturing
processes. They said epicatechin -- the major flavanol monomer present in the
samples -- can be converted to catechin during roasting and alkali processing. A
monomer is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers
to form a polymer.
"These studies reconfirm that the amount of flavanols, whether large or small,
in products like dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder are closely
tied to the level of brown cocoa particles in the products." study leader David
Stuart of The Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition in Hershey, Pa., said in a
statement.
The research team also included scientists from Brunswick Laboratories in
Taunton, Mass., and Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International