Antioxidants in Dutched (Alkali-Processed) Chocolates
Most of the research I read (and therefore write about) regarding the cardiovascular health benefits of flavanols in chocolate are studies funded by Mars, Inc. This is not to say that other chocolate makers are not doing scientific research on chocolate; in fact Hershey’s also published results that Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate as well as Hershey’s Natural Cocoa lowered blood pressure and improved endothelial function in a study of 45 patients.
The difference between the research of these two chocolate factories? Mars suggests that its products are superior because of their proprietary processing called Cocoapro® that helps ensure consistently high levels of cocoa flavanols in the products.
A recent study conducted by Hershey’s, on the other hand, reports that while natural cocoa products indeed have highest antioxidant levels, even lightly- or medium-Dutched processed (also termed alkali-processed) cocoa powders still retain significant levels of the beneficial antioxidants.
Dutching, or alkali treatment, of cocoa is a 180-year-old process used to lower the bitterness and darken the color of cocoa powder. Dutched cocoas are commonly used in beverages such as chocolate milk and hot cocoa mixes, in cakes and cookies, and in a limited number of confections. In the United States, the presence of Dutched cocoa or Dutched chocolate is indicated by looking for the terms “dutched” or “processed with alkali” on the ingredients label.
In this study, the degree of cocoa alkalization caused a progressive, but not complete loss, of flavanol antioxidants, with about 40% retained in lightly dutched cocoas, 25% retained in medium dutched cocoas, and 10% retained in heavily dutched cocoas.
Apparently, despite the losses due to Dutch processing, these cocoa powders still belong to the top 10% of flavanol-containing foods when results were compared to foods listed in the USDA Procyanidin Database.
In other words, this could mean that sure, you’d probably get more antioxidants in a CocoaVia bar than in another generic chocolate bar, but considering the amount of chocolate you probably consume in other forms, you’re probably getting comparable amounts even with alkali-processed chocolate products.
