July 2006
Chocolate that helps the heart?
Packages of CocoaVia Original Chocolate Bars claim they contain "natural plant extracts which have been proven to reduce bad
cholesterol (LDL) by up to 8 percent," and "high levels of naturally occurring cocoa flavanols to help promote healthy circulation."
But does snacking on CocoaVia chocolates really promote a healthy heart, as the package claims? Possibly, but there are less
caloric ways to get your flavanols.
When we asked for scientific evidence to support CocoaVia's claims, the manufacturer, Mars, sent us published articles on the cardiovascular benefits of cocoa rich in flavanols and studies suggesting that flavanol-rich cocoa either improved vascular function or inhibited clotting in clinical trials. Support for the cholesterol-lowering claim included an abstract that, at press time, had not yet been published. Most of the studies were done with Mars collaboration or funding.
Nutritional experts we consulted said the studies that Mars sent were not definitive. Adding two 100-calorie CocoaVia bars a day to your diet "for maximum benefit," as the packaging suggests, could result in a weight gain of about 20 pounds in a year unless other foods are reduced or exercise is increased. And at a cost of $4.99 for a box of five bars, you'd spend nearly $730 a year. Our expert tasters found that CocoaVia bars had an intense dark-chocolate flavor and a fairly smooth melt.
CR's take: It makes more sense to focus on consuming flavanols from foods such as apples, grapes, and tea.
When we asked for scientific evidence to support CocoaVia's claims, the manufacturer, Mars, sent us published articles on the cardiovascular benefits of cocoa rich in flavanols and studies suggesting that flavanol-rich cocoa either improved vascular function or inhibited clotting in clinical trials. Support for the cholesterol-lowering claim included an abstract that, at press time, had not yet been published. Most of the studies were done with Mars collaboration or funding.
Nutritional experts we consulted said the studies that Mars sent were not definitive. Adding two 100-calorie CocoaVia bars a day to your diet "for maximum benefit," as the packaging suggests, could result in a weight gain of about 20 pounds in a year unless other foods are reduced or exercise is increased. And at a cost of $4.99 for a box of five bars, you'd spend nearly $730 a year. Our expert tasters found that CocoaVia bars had an intense dark-chocolate flavor and a fairly smooth melt.
CR's take: It makes more sense to focus on consuming flavanols from foods such as apples, grapes, and tea.
