Chocolate - A Help in Treating Diabetes, Strokes & Dementia?

Chocolate Passion
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com

Now wouldn't it be a dream come true if diabetics could chocolate use to treat their illness? A two day conference (25 -26 July 2005) in Switzerland convened by Mars Inc., the chocolate confectionery company, has discussed research that indicates flavanols in chocolate may indeed be instrumental in helping in diabetes.

Molecules in cocoa credited for the "heart-healthy" benefits of certain cocoa and dark chocolate may also in the future help treat diabetes, strokes and vascular dementia, and could soon be available to pharmaceutical companies for development into new medications, scientists say.

Researchers said their findings point toward a potential major new class of medications, based on novel synthesized flavanols, to help prevent or treat serious illnesses. "The mounting scientific evidence on cocoa flavanols is extraordinary," said Dr. Norm Hollenberg, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the first researchers to identify the potential health benefits of cocoa flavanols. "This is a scientific breakthrough that could well lead to a medical breakthrough."

Additionally, Mars scientists have discovered that entire "libraries" of cocoa flavanols can be synthesized, and that new flavanols can be developed from natural flavanols, enhancing their feasibility for use in pharmaceutical medications.

Mars, Inc. has supported cocoa research for more than 15 years and has confirmed that it is holding serious discussions with large pharmaceutical companies for a licensing or joint venture agreement that could enable some of these compounds to be developed as prescription drugs.

"Our company has a heritage of highly regarded research in nutrition and health science, through partnerships with some of the world's finest scientists and universities," said Dr. Harold Schmitz, Chief Science Officer for Mars. "This science is now moving beyond nutrition toward the research and development of important health care solutions."

Added Schmitz, "Because Mars is a privately held company, we have the freedom to make the long-term research commitments that deliver truly innovative results."

The Swiss meeting provided an opportunity for scientists from around the world, who are working independently on different cocoa flavanol research, to share their findings in a peer-review setting. The presentations provided new insight into the potential benefits of cocoa flavanols for treatment of serious illnesses such as dementia, diabetes and stroke. This research builds upon more than 80 peer-reviewed publications that have covered, test tube and clinical research on cocoa flavanols.

Among the findings discussed at the two-day meeting:

• The specific cocoa flavanol molecules responsible for a beneficial aspirin-like effect (a reduction in platelet aggregation) have been identified for the first time. This has major implications for pharmaceutical applications.
• Two clinical trials found that cocoa flavanols can increase blood flow to key areas of the brain, suggesting the potential for treatment of vascular impairment associated with elderly people, including dementia
  and strokes.
• Building on previous findings that cocoa flavanols can boost synthesis of nitric oxide by blood vessels, increasing blood flow, a new clinical study found that such increases can also be achieved among people with diabetes. This suggests that cocoa flavanols could aid in treatment of serious vascular complications associated with long-term diabetes.
• The ability to synthesize cocoa flavanols has become a reality, and the mechanisms behind their actions in the body are now becoming understood.

Mars has been actively exploring effective ways of making flavanols available in nutritional foods. On June 30, the company announced creation of a new business unit, Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, which is dedicated to the development of new foods, snacks, beverages and lifestyle support to better serve the nutritional and well-being needs of consumers. It has already launched a bar called CocoaVia™ said to deliver heart benefits combined with the pleasure of eating chocolate.

Of course, all research funded by companies with a commercial interest in the outcome has to be treated with caution but the scientists involved are well-respected so the outlook is hopeful. We shall await further, peer-reviewed research with interest.

Love chocolate? Then All Info About Chocolate is the site for you.

Copyright © 2005 - Carol Fisher