We are often admonished not to have dark chocolate often. Well, we do love to have dark chocolate and do the same but clandestinely. If you also do it, there is no need to do the same in secret any more. Eating dark chocolate is beneficial for health and a recently concluded study has proved that. On the word of the independent study, eating dark chocolate, high in flavanols–the antioxidants that occur naturally in cocoa beans–can perform a vital role in protecting the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

In accordance with the researchers, dark chocolate rich in flavonols consists of antioxidant properties that could put off wrinkles and slash the risk of skin cancer caused by exposure to sunlight. Commenting on this, Dr. Stefanie Williams, dermatologist, Cosmetic Science Group, London University of the Arts and private dermatology clinic European Dermatology London, who carried out the research stated, “Chronic UV exposure is the main cause of premature skin aging and also plays an important role in cutaneous carcinogenesis.” “Our study demonstrated that regular consumption of chocolate rich in flavanols confers substantial photoprotection and can thus be effective at protecting human skin from harmful UV effects.”

It has been learnt that researchers conducted a study to appraise the potential of dark chocolate preserved with high flavanol against skin damage from sunlight rather than usual dark chocolate.
What is more, in a randomized controlled trial the researchers were found to recruit 22 women and eight men who were pale and fair skinned with an average age of 43 years.

They were divided into two groups; while one group was given 20- grams of Barry Callebaut ACTICOA dark chocolate high in flavanol daily, the other group had like looking chocolate much lower in flavanol content. The skin of all participants was examined at the start of the study and again towards its end. For three months the participants of both the groups were regularly exposed to controlled doses of UV light to record at which level the skin became inflamed.

What was the result then? The researchers observed the group that consumed dark chocolate with high content of flavanol showed a noticeable improvement in skin resistance to UV rays of the sun than others who ate the conventional dark chocolate. The researchers stated, “The main mechanism is likely to be the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. But conventional chocolate had no such effect.”

The study, if truth be told, is a breakthrough.