Chocolate to fight wrinkles

Barry Callebaut says it may have come up with a chocolate bar that could fight wrinkles and slow the aging process, reports Reuters. According to Barry Callebaut Chief Innovation Officer Hans Vriens, the company has developed a way of preserving the flavanols found in cocoa beans during the chocolate-making process, allowing them to produce a bar that is richer in flavanols.

The company's research suggests eating 20 g (0.755 oz) of specially developed chocolate packed with antioxidants, or flavanols, each day may help prevent wrinkles and make skin more radiant by boosting elasticity and improving hydration.

"Chocolate and health do not seem to fit together but it is a very interesting proposition: if I can eat something I like and it is good for me, that is great," Vriens told Reuters "Chocolate is probably at the bottom of the list when you think about making food healthier."

Richard Hurrell, professor of Human Nutrition at the Federal Institute of Technogy in Switzerland is not convinced of the positive effects of flavanols on the skin, but keeps an open mind. "There is quite a lot of evidence that cocoa flavanols have a positive effect on the blood flow," he said. "They could reduce blood pressure which could have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases." And he added, "The possible effects on skin and cognitive performance are less well established. There is evidence, but it is much less consistent. It may be that the effect on the blood flow is also what improves memory or skin health in some of the studies."