Polyphenol-Enriched Cocoa Powder Shows Potential As Functional Ingredient For The Elderly

The ability of polyphenol-enriched cocoa powder to reduce oxidative stress makes it a viable functional ingredient for the aged, who are more prone to the damaging effects of oxygen radicals. The researchers tested a newly developed cocoa powder with high flavonoid content on genetically-manipulated strains of the yeast S. cerevisiae and the worm C. elegans as model organisms. After inducing oxidative damage in the organisms using hydrogen peroxide, the researchers found that flavonoid-enriched cocoa induced resistance to oxidative stress in the yeast and the worm. “All in all,” the researchers concluded, “these results confirm that this polyphenol-enriched cocoa powder, with antioxidant activity, has great potential use as a functional food ingredient for elderly people.”