14 DAY TRIAL // Word has it that Swiss company Barry Callebaut will soon start marketing a new dark chocolate variety that can help reduce heart attack risk.
This chocolate, dubbed Acticoa, is said to contain beneficial compounds known to the scientists as flavanols. According to Huffington Post, these compounds influence the elasticity of blood vessels.
Thus, tests have shown that Acticoa contains enough flavanols to make blood vessels in the human body about 25 more elastic than they would normally be. This translates into improved blood flow and, ultimately, into a lower heart attack risk.
“There is quite a lot of evidence that cocoa flavonols have a positive effect on the blood flow,” Professor Richard Hurrell with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology reportedly said.
This new dark chocolate variety is expected to hit markets in a few months.
While some cannot wait to give it a try (for medical reasons, of course), others argue that, increased flavanols content aside, Acticoa will surely pack a significant amount of fat and sugar and therefore cannot be as healthy as Barry Callebaut promises it will be.