Henderson, NV, February 28, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Though it has yet to hit most doctors’ recommended diet list, cocoa is making significant headway into the world of ‘superfoods.’ Recent reports have pegged the flavanols in chocolate as skin protecting, heart-healthy, and now brain boosting.

A study publicized this past week demonstrated the ability of flavanol-rich cocoa to increase cerebral blood flow to gray matter. Loosely translated, cocoa may offer potential prevention and treatment options for vascular impairment, including dementia and strokes. Plus, the increase in brain circulation could help with daily fatigue and sleep deprivation.

Related studies tout the aspirin like effect of cocoa flavanols. In promotion of heart-health, it appears that high-flavanol foods may improve overall blood flow, reduce blood clotting, and cool inflammation.

This good news adds to other beneficial flavanol findings from 2006. For example, German scientists found that daily consumption of high-flavanol cocoa offered protection against several types of sun damage. Although chocolate does not yet pose a threat to sunscreen, the possibility for smoother and healthier skin could brighten the moods of many chocoholics.

So what are these flavanols? Flavanols are a type of flavonoid, or plant-based antioxidants active in the fight against free radicals. Though not quite as indulgent as a bar of dark chocolate, green and black tea, various fruits, and some vegetables are also rich in beneficial flavanols.

To keep things in perspective, most of the above noted studies were very small, with less than 25 participants. It should also be disclosed that Mars, the world’s largest chocolate company, has had a very big hand in the funding of recent cocoa flavanol studies. However, since it is chocolate, it may not be wise to publicly question the validity of their findings at this point.

Yet, there is one definite catch. Flavanols add such a bitter taste to chocolate, that they are usually removed in processing. Most of the research noted has focused on unsweetened cocoa or specially formulated high-flavanol chocolate, not the type typically purchased in the grocery store. As chocolate moves from bean to bar, flavanols are lost within each processing step.

Luckily, all is not lost. To get the most flavanol power for your money, there are a few options:

· Reach for regular, unsweetened cocoa rather than the milder Dutch process cocoa.