What Are Cocoa Flavanols?
Figure 1 – Adapted from Aviram & Fuhrman in "Flavonoids in Health and Disease" edited by C. Rice – Evans & L. Packer Marcel Dekker, Inc.,2003, Page 169.
Flavanols, phytonutrients found in plant foods like cocoa, tea, wine, nuts and certain fruits and vegetables, have been linked to numerous health benefits. Flavanols represent a sub-class of a group of natural compounds called flavonoids which are widely distributed in plants. Scientists have identified several cocoa flavanols, including epicatechin, catechin, and their oligomeric forms.
A growing body of evidence indicates that flavanols, found naturally in unprocessed cocoa and to varying degrees in processed cocoa products, may be linked to a range of circulatory health benefits. Specifically, research indicates that cocoa flavanols may help:
- Improve blood vessel function and increase blood flow
- Reduce tendency of blood clots to form
- Reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension
- Increase blood flow to the brain, which could have important implications for learning and memory
Contrary to repeated reports, the percent cacao or cocoa mass does not indicate cocoa flavanol content. While traditional cocoa processing often destroys many of these beneficial phytonutrients, Mars, Incorporated developed a patented and proprietary process called Cocoapro® that helps retain the flavanols normally destroyed during processing.
When referring to flavanols, Mars Botanical chooses to call them flavanols and not antioxidants, as the cardiovascular and circulatory benefits do not come from their antioxidant properties.