Dark chocolate may offer its consumers health benefits the milk variety cannot match.
Abstract
There is some speculation that dietary flavonoids from chocolate, in particular (−)epicatechin, may promote cardiovascular health as a result of direct antioxidant effects or through antithrombotic mechanisms1,2,3. Here we show that consumption of plain, dark chocolate (Fig. 1) results in an increase in both the total antioxidant capacity and the (−)epicatechin content of blood plasma, but that these effects are markedly reduced when the chocolate is consumed with milk or if milk is incorporated as milk chocolate. Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate in vivo and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate.
FOODCOLLECTION.COM/ALAMY
Unlike its milky counterpart, dark chocolate may provide more than just a treat for the tastebuds.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rein, D. et al. J. Nutr. 130, 2109S–2114S (2000).
Holt, R. R., Schramm, D. D., Keen, C. L., Lazarus, S. A. & Schmitz, H. H. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 287, 2212–2213 (2002).
Steinberg, F. M., Bearden, M. N. & Keen, C. L. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 103, 215–223 (2003).
Benzie, I. F. F. & Strain, J. J. Anal. Biochem. 239, 229–240 (1996).
Maiani, G., Serafini, M., Salucci, M., Azzini, E. & Ferro-Luzzi, A. J. Chromatogr. B 692, 311–317 (1997).
Charlton, A. J. et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50, 1593–1601 (2002).
Serafini, M., Ghiselli, A. & Ferro-Luzzi, A. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 50, 28–32 (1996).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Serafini, M., Bugianesi, R., Maiani, G. et al. Plasma antioxidants from chocolate. Nature 424, 1013 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/4241013a
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/4241013a
This article is cited by
-
Effects of Cocoa-Derived Polyphenols on Cognitive Function in Humans. Systematic Review and Analysis of Methodological Aspects
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2020)
-
High dietary total antioxidant capacity is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in French women
Nutrition Journal (2019)
-
Phylogenetic analysis of upland cotton MATE gene family reveals a conserved subfamily involved in transport of proanthocyanidins
Molecular Biology Reports (2019)
-
Changes in the composition and content of polyphenols in chocolate resulting from pre-treatment method of cocoa beans and technological process
European Food Research and Technology (2019)
-
Acute effects of brewed cocoa consumption on attention, motivation to perform cognitive work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover experiment
BMC Nutrition (2017)
