When news broke that eating chocolate could have health benefits, sweets-eaters around the globe rejoiced—finally, a favorite treat that is actually good for us! But is this scoop too good to be true?

Those reported health benefits—like supporting brain and heart health—actually come from cocoa flavanols, a naturally occurring compound in the cacao plant. And published research shows that regular consumption of flavanols does promote healthy blood vessel function and arterial flexibility, helping your blood to deliver the high levels of oxygen and nutrients your heart and brain need to perform at their best.

A quick primer on all things cocoa flavanols and flavonoids:

  • Flavonoids are a group of compounds found in the plant-based foods we eat (or drink)! For example, grapes, nuts, citrus, tea, soymilk, red wine and cocoa are all flavonoid-containing foods.
  • Flavanols are one of the six different classes of flavonoids.
  • The unique mixture of naturally-occurring flavanols found in the cacao plant is called “cocoa flavanols”—and these flavanols offer particular benefits to your health!

Now that you’re up to speed on flavonoids and flavanols you might be reaching to your closest chocolate treat. But before you get too excited about your chocolate treats: not all cocoa is created equal, so it’s really important to know what you’re getting.

Flavanols are very delicate, and easily destroyed during conventional processing. So contrary to popular belief, most popular chocolate products—cocoa powders, dark chocolate and nibs—don’t contain enough cocoa flavanols for you to get a health benefit. Nor do most of these products typically indicate or guarantee a specific concentration of cocoa flavanol per serving. Another caveat: chocolate is fine to enjoy in moderation as a treat, but it contains fat, added sugar, and is calorically-dense.  Since studies show that you need to consume cocoa flavanols daily to get their maximum health benefits, so chocolate is probably not your best bet.

  • The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND) the world’s largest organization of nutrition and dietetics practitioners, has issued the first ever authoritative dietary recommendation on flavanols for cardiometabolic health.The AND recommends a daily flavanol intake of 400 to 600 milligrams from a variety of foods to support cardiometabolic health. Cardiometabolic health contributes to a healthy lifespan by reducing risk factors for cardiac and metabolic diseases, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
what does 500mg of Cocoa Flavanols Look Like? 1 scoop of CocoaVia Cardio Powder = 11 tablespoons of cocoa baking powder

You can achieve this guideline by eating a healthy, varied diet, but even with this, getting this level of flavanols EVERY day can be tough. So think diet first, and then consider how a supplement like CocoaVia™ can help fill the gaps. In one serving of CocoaVia™ (500mg), you can get your full recommended amount of flavanols. When you compare this to Cocoa Baking powder - you would need 11 tablespoons to achieve the same cocoa flavanols levels. That results in significantly higher calories, fat & carbohydrates.

The Best Source of Cocoa Flavanols

  • Because preserving cocoa flavanols during the extraction process is key, our scientists developed the proprietary Cocoapro® process, which gently extracts cocoa flavanols from high-quality cocoa beans, preserving them in the highest concentration available in a supplement today.
     
    We guarantee one serving of capsules and powder have 500 mg of high-quality cocoa flavanols and will support your heart and brain health by promoting healthy blood flow. Whether you prefer the on-the-go convenience of a capsule or want to enjoy the delicious taste of our powdered stick packs, , make sure you’re getting at least 500mg of cocoa flavanols in your diet every day.

    The takeaway: while it’s unlikely you’ll get the health benefits of cocoa flavanols from your favorite chocolate treat, cocoa powder, or a mug of hot chocolate, you do have a convenient, tasty low-fat, low-cal and low-carb option available in CocoaVia™.

    Learn more about cocoa flavanols—from health benefits to detailed scientific research—and see the difference for yourself by trying CocoaVia™ products for 30 days.

Shop CocoaVia™ Cardio Health to get 500mg of Cocoa Flavanols

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