The beneficial plant compounds in chocolate are called flavonoids, which
contribute to the dark pigment in chocolate. Flavonoids are
polyphenolic compounds found abundantly in cocoa.
Dark chocolate contains a high percentage (equal to 70 percent) of cocoa
solids, and little or no added sugar. As a result, dark chocolate
contains more health benefits. At the contrary, milk chocolate contains
less flavonoids as evidenced by its lighter color.
Cocoa flavonoids are classified as flavanols and include the monomers,
(-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and procyanidins, the oligomers of these
monomeric units.
Flavonoids occur naturally in the cocoa plant as a way of protecting the
plant. Their presence affects the taste of chocolate and they are
responsible for the astringency in the unprocessed cocoa bean.
The flavonoid found in dark chocolate has been linked to decreases in
blood pressure, improvements in endothelial dysfunction that promote
vascular homeostasis, improvements in antiplatelet activity,
improvements in insulin sensitivity, increases in high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations, improvements in cognitive,
and antioxidant properties.
Furthermore, an increase in plasma antioxidant capacity and a decrease
in plasma oxidation products are associated with elevated epicatechin
concentrations. Research recently reported that the cocoa flavonoids
decrease plasma leukotriene-prostacyclin ratios in human plasma and
aortic endothelial cells (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 23, No. 3, 197–204, 2004).
Flavonoids in dark chocolate
