Balance of Food

Yes, there are plenty of jokes to be made about chocolate having medicinal purposes. But Mars Inc. says it’s holding "serious discussions with large pharmaceutical companies" for cocoa-based drugs that could help treat diabetes, some forms of dementia and other ailments. Chocolate is known for its antioxidant qualities; it’s just that pesky sugar getting in the way. The company is pursuing research on the possible health benefits of cocoa flavanols (a fancier word for antioxidants), compounds contained in one of the basic ingredients of chocolate. You can find similar properties in red wine. And again, all of this in moderation. Still, when it comes to natural remedies, the process gets dragged down unless some large company can make a huge profit. A number of experts concur that the positive effects are considerably exaggerated. We also point this out because of one expert quoted by The Washington Post. Pay special attention to her last name.

"This is about selling chocolate. Mars is only doing this because it wants people to eat more and more M&Ms," said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, who dismissed the idea of cocoa-based medicines. She has no relation to the European chocolate maker of the same name.