Cocoa flavanols appear to decrease blood pressure only when elevated say researchers, easing previous concerns that the nutrient can decrease blood pressure in healthy adults.
Scientists are struggling to reach a consensus on guidance of cocoa consumption for patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as conflicting evidence makes it difficult to determine precise dose-to-response outcomes.
A ‘milestone’ study has been published supporting the link between flavanol consumption and cardiovascular health. FoodNavigator speaks to Mars Edge’s science and nutrition director Catherine Kwik-Uribe about the implications of this ‘landmark moment’...
Barry Callebaut’s latest innovation, ‘Elix’, is made from 100% pure cacaofruit and is described by the Group as the ‘first nutraceutical fruit drink’ with proven health benefits.
New study, published in Scientific Reports, is the first to recognize the cognitive effects of flavanols in young, healthy participants and the link with brain activity.
The cocoa and spice supplier unveiled sustainability goals in 2017 with a 2020 goal of nurturing a ‘fully traceable’ cocoa supply chain. We discussed progress with Olam's North American innovation lead, when we caught up with him at IFT.
Healthy chocolate startup FlavaNaturals has been testing its reception at various retail environments for the past four years: café, specialty stories, even yoga studios etc., but the company’s CEO Alan Frost has a bigger plan in mind for the coming fall...
Albertus Eskes and Dario Ahnert, cocoa breeders from agriculture research firm CIRAD and UESC has invented a fermentation technology called TropMix to help cocoa beans enhance its natural fruity flavors.
Barry Callebaut has extended its partnership with health-focused chocolate brand FlavaNaturals throughout 2018 to develop flavanol-rich products in the US.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery has defended accusations it is fueling an unjust association between chocolate and health by funding cocoa flavanol research and says chocolate ‘should not be considered a health food’.
Barry Callebaut has made available a range of low-sugar chocolate designed to promote an improved nutritional profile to confectionery that doesn’t compromise on taste.
Sugar may help cocoa flavanols to be better absorbed in the digestive system, however this will provoke a spike in insulin, undoing its beneficial effect, speculates a researcher at Coventry University.
Researchers say commercial prospects for extra virgin olive oil enriched dark chocolate are strong after finding potential cardiovascular health benefits.
Flavanol-rich chocolate is well known for its beneficial effect on the brain, but a review by Italian researchers point towards its neuroprotective effects in vulnerable populations over time.
The most familiar quality parameter of chocolate – the cocoa solids percentage – has no correlation with flavanol levels, according to a study by the University of Reading.
Belgian firm Vandenbulcke has introduced ChoVita, the first chocolate brand in Europe that makes a cocoa flavanol health claim that it is 'good for your blood flow'.
Cocoa flavanols have been tied to lowering blood pressure and heart disease risk in new research by a Mars-backed project, but study authors say chocolate is too calorific to be a delivery vehicle.
A Mars-supported study suggests that cocoa flavanols in a functional drink may reverse age-related memory decline, but the same effect may not be true in chocolate.
Epicatechin is the gold standard cocoa flavanol says a medical doctor, but Barry Callebaut claims all flavanols have a positive effect on cardiovascular health.
Functional confectionery has made only small gains since approval of Barry Callebaut’s cocoa flavanol health claim but opportunities exist for premiumized chocolate products, says a Euromonitor analyst.
Chocolate giant Mars and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute are readying themselves for a five-year research project into possible heart-health benefits of taking a daily flavanol-rich capsule.
Superheated steam roasting retains more phenols and flavonoids during cocoa processing than the conventional roasting method, according to research by Universiti Sains in Malaysia.
Barry Callebaut's R&D department talks to ConfectioneryNews after winning a blood flow health claim for cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate and cocoa beverages.
Barry Callebaut’s innovation department has revealed that the level of cocoa flavanols, which are associated with a string of positive health effects, vary depending on where beans are sourced.
