DARK CHOCOLATE MAY PROTECT DNA
Italian researchers report that eating dark chocolate containing 860 milligrams of polyphenols, and 58 milligrams of epicatechin, resulted in a 20 per cent reduction in DNA damage two hours after consumption. Led by Angela Spadafranca from the University of Milan and using chocolate supplied by Ferraro, the researchers assigned 20 healthy subjects with an average age of 24.2 to consume a balanced diet for four weeks. After two weeks the group was split in two, with one group receiving additional dark chocolate, while the other received white chocolate. Measurements taken at regular intervals after consumption showed that the benefits were observed relatively quickly, with increases in blood levels of catechin observed two hours after consumption of the dark chocolate, with coincidental decreases in DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells. However, the effects were not observed 22 hours after consumption, leading the researchers to speculate that this suggests that flavonoid plasma levels are dependent upon intake from recent food sources. The study adds to an ever growing body of science supporting the benefits of polyphenol-rich chocolate which may protect DNA from oxidative damage, preventing artery hardening and heart disease. The results of the study were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.