Chocolate has its good and its bad, but research by an ISU alumna shows it may be more beneficial than once thought.

Chocolate may be a prescription to help prevent heart disease, according to ISU alumna Laurie Mills’ research. Yet, there is still no way around the calories and fat it can pack on.

Flavonoids are plant-based chemicals and nutrients that promote beneficial activities in the body, said Mills, dietitian for the Iowa Heart Center. She graduated from Iowa State in 1976 in food science and dietetics. Flavonoids, which are found in chocolate, have antioxidant capabilities, she said.

“[Antioxidants] grab up free radicals in the body that have the potential to cause cancer,” Mills said.

She said flavonoids can help with blood vessel constriction, a potential cause of heart attacks.

“Plaque in arteries creates inflammation, and the flavonoids can act as an anti-inflammatory by relaxing the endothelium lining the blood vessels. Flavonoids can also act as an anti-coagulant,” Mills said.

She said chocolates that contain more cocoa, such as dark chocolate, have more flavonoids than others. White chocolate doesn’t have any flavonoids because its made from cocoa butter and sugar and not cocoa.

Certain chocolates have also been processed with alkali, which removes flavonoids but gives the chocolate its distinctive taste, Mills said.

“If you’re choosing a product, choose one that does not say ‘Dutch chocolate’ on the label, because that is going to have less flavonoids,” she said.

While milk chocolate contains some flavonoids, the additives in the chocolate are unhealthy in large amounts, Mills said.

“The bad thing about chocolate is that it’s 30 percent fat and also has a lot of calories. Part of the fat in chocolate is saturated, which isn’t very healthy,” she said.

Jeffrey Moran, spokesman for Master Food Services, a division of Mars Inc., said his company has been involved with flavonoid research with other companies and scientists. Moran said research has allowed Mars to develop a process enabling them to secure ingredients in the chocolate, including flavonoids.

Mills said chocolate is not the only food people can eat to get more flavonoids in their diet.

“Tea is one of the most well-known antioxidants,” she said. “Tea has a lot of flavonoids.”

Marc Shulman, staff physician at the Thielen Student Health Center, said people can get flavonoids from red wine, fruits and vegetables as well.

Shulman said knowledge of flavonoids benefits has been out there for awhile — but they are not a “miracle chemical,” he said.

“Flavonoids help regulate other mechanisms in the body,” Shulman said. “The major benefit is that [flavonoids] may help with bad cholesterol. They are not a substitute for eating a good diet, just supplemental.”

He said he still feels there needs to be more research done on flavonoids; meanwhile, people should not forget that when they’re consuming chocolate, they’re also consuming calories and fat.

Moran said Mars is currently test marketing a new product made from dark chocolate called CocoaVia that capitalizes on the chocolate-flavonoid connection. He said his company will continue to conduct chocolate-related research.

“We as a company are committed to research looking for the benefits of chocolate,” Moran said.