Chocolate healthier than fruit juices

Last Updated: Saturday, April 14, 2012,14:25

Tags: Chocolates, fruit juices, Cocoa, health

Chocolate is healthier than many fruit juices and is a `superfood` in its own right, says a new study conducted by a US-based chocolate company.

Superfoods are high in anti-oxidants and compounds that help prevent damage to healthy cells.

Researchers from the Hershey Centre for Health & Nutrition in the US found that powdered dark chocolate had more anti-oxidants and polyphenols, believed to protect us from cancer and cardiac conditions, the Chemistry Central Journal reports.

They compared single servings of dark chocolate, cocoa, and hot chocolate mix with fruit juices including acai berries, cranberries and pomegranates, according to a Hershey statement.

The research showed that both dark chocolate and cocoa had more antioxidant activity and more flavonols than fruit. Debra Millar, who led the study, said chocolate should be labelled a "superfruit".

ANI

First Published: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 14:25

Comments

diana mccalla - california
when processed properly, dark chocolate has more antioxidants than any food known on the planet. so it really doesn`t matter what the cocoa content is if the beans are not processed property. commercial processing destroys most of the fragile antioxidants. the only way you can be sure you are getting the health benefits is to choose a chocolate that has been certified for the amount of antioxidants as well as the amount of flavonoids. also, choose a chocolate that has no processed sugars (even organic processed sugars!), no bad fats nor caffeine. there is a great article on the difference between ``good`` chocolate and ``bad`` chocolate at cocoa101blog.com.