The world's largest chocolate maker says it may have come up with a chocolate bar that could fight wrinkles and slow the aging process, making it the latest food group to tap the appetite for healthier living. 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, studies carried out by Barry Callebaut showed. Dark chocolate has already been linked with certain health benefits, such as helping to lower blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes thanks to its high content of antioxidants. The Swiss group 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, Barry Callebaut Chief Innovation Officer Hans Vriens said in an interview. But some experts are doubtful about the positive effects flavanols have on skin. “There is quite a lot of evidence that cocoa flavanols have a positive effect on the blood flow. They could reduce blood pressure which could have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases,” said Richard Hurrell, Professor of Human Nutrition at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
