Thank Oligomeric Procyanidins for the Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Thank sugar for making your favorite dark chocolate candies so sweet. But also thank the flavonol oligomeric procyanidins for making this food so healthy.

A recent study examines the numerous benefits of this tasty treat, including the decreased risk of certain health issues, such as obesity and diabetes.  

Dr. Andrew Neilson of Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences examined how this flavonol found in dark chocolate can help to reduce blood pressure levels and even improve blood flow.

In order to better test the benefit of flavonols, researchers placed lab mice on a high-fat diet rich in flavonols. Findings showed that the mice were able to keep their weight and blood sugar low when consuming a diet rich in PCs, and even those on a high-fat diet saw the benefits.

"Oligomeric PCs appear to possess the greatest antiobesity and antidiabetic bioactivities of the flavonols in cocoa, particularly at the low doses employed for the present study," the researchers said, via Fox News.

Unfortunately, with the sweet comes the bitter. In other words, flavonols found in dark chocolate are not just responsible for the health benefits of the food, but also its sharp aftertaste.

Investigators point out that doses of flavonols used in the study were significantly lower than those used in past research. In other words, researchers may have underestimated its potential at times, with previous findings showing other health benefits of this food.

However, they also note that this study did not attribute the benefit of flavonols to chocolate. Some participants ate dark chocolate regularly while others ate chocolate with added flavanols, according to Medical News Today.

What do you think?

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry.