Not All Chocolate Is Created Equal

By Sally Finder-Koziol

Although research has found that an antioxidant compound in cocoa beans—flavonol—may be good for your heart, it might be missing from your favorite chocolate bar. “Most chocolate isn’t flavonol-rich,” says Norm Hollenberg, a radiology professor at Harvard Medical School. In fact, confectioners have spent years trying to get rid of the bitter flavor that flavonols add to chocolate and cocoa. Until now.

With growing scientific studies showing that flavonol improves blood flow throughout the body, companies are now developing a new breed of chocolate-y delight. Mars, Inc., is starting with CocoaVia granola bars, made with a special cocoa powder that retains most of the flavonols. The bars also have plant sterols, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol. Hershey’s, meanwhile, is introducing a new Extra Dark chocolate bar, containing 60 percent cocoa.