Chocolate as Health Food?

Earlier I reported that Mars, the maker of M&M’s, is backing research to show that cocoa — which most of its chocolate candies contain — could be used to treat such diseases as diabetes, strokes, and vascular disease.

The Washington Post now examines the matter further in its fascinating article, "Candy Makers Are Pitching Chocolate As a Health Food. But So Far, the Research Is Turning Up Sweet Nothing."

In fact, Mars is being joined by the Hershey Co., which plans to launch an "extra dark" chocolate bar this September "that will flaunt its potentially beneficial cocoa content," reports Ben Harder, who wrote the Post piece.

Smaller chocolatiers also are using this much-touted cocoa in a growing portfolio of products, adds Harder, who covers health and medicine for Science News.

I’m supposed to be vacationing now so I’m going to get back to playing and I’ll hold off posting any additional commentary other than the fact that I do wish a company would come up with a beneficial, tasty cocoa product that isn’t loaded with sugars and fat.