Researchers at the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health showed that the concentration of the phenol epicatechin peaks in the bloodstream about two to three hours after eating chocolate. Phenols totally disappear after about six hours, a result supported by Keen's study. You'd have to eat chocolate morning, noon and night to get a lasting effect, an option only for extreme chocoholics. Phenols also tend to bind to proteins, which means that eating milk chocolate or hot chocolate made with milk could prevent the absorption of phenols into the bloodstream. The lack of understanding isn't stopping candy companies from pursuing health claims, though.
Health claims are great marketing tools.
Quaker Oats, claiming its oatmeal lowers cholesterol, has turned around its sagging market, with more oats sold every year. Probably not, since the company hired a public relations firm to handle the attention garnered by the results of the UC Davis study. The future of chocolate may lie in enhancing its antioxidant properties until they outweigh the fat and calories. Already, chocolate bars in Japan advertise their phenol content in big letters on the front of the wrapper. According to a food industry newsletter, chocolate manufacturers are working on approval in Japan to promote the anti-aging effects of chocolate, and the U.S. isn't far behind.