Dark chocolate and non-Dutched cocoa contain potent antioxidant flavanols called proanthyocyanidins that may contribute to heart health and boost immunity. Non-Dutched cocoa is much richer in flavonoids than Dutched (alkali-treated) cocoa, because the Dutching process destroys the flavonoids. Now research reports that regularly cocoa intake can beautify and enhance the skin by making it smoother and more resistant to damage from the sun's ultra-violet (UV) rays.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, investigated the effect of cocoa consumption on skin condition. Researchers at Universitat Witten-Herdecke in Germany administered cocoa high in flavanols (326 milligrams) or cocoa low in flavanols (27 milligrams) daily to 24 women with healthy, normal skin, for 12 weeks. The participants were exposed to 1.25 times the UV irradiation dose to cause skin reddening on the back and shoulder at the beginning of the study, after six weeks, and at the end of the study. The participants maintained their normal diets and were asked to not take nutritional supplements and to not sunbathe.
The researchers found that the high flavanol cocoa group had a 15 percent reduction of skin reddening after 6 weeks and a 25 percent reduction after 12 weeks, compared with the low flavanol cocoa group. Furthermore, the high flavanol cocoa group had an increase in skin blood flow and significant improvement in skin texture. After 12 weeks, the high flavanol group had a 16 percent increase in skin density, 12 per cent increase in skin thickness and 28 percent increase in skin hydration. No improvements were noted in the low flavanol cocoa group.
"Dietary flavanols from cocoa contribute to endogenous photoprotection, improve dermal blood circulation, and affect cosmetically relevant skin surface and hydration variables," the study authors write.
REFERENCES:
1. Heinrich U et al. Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition in women. J Nutr 2006 Jun;136(6):1565-9.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on November 12, 2006 02:38 PM
