Forget about Atkins. It's time for the Mars diet.
Mars Inc., the company behind Milky Way, Snickers and M&Ms, plans to launch a new line of products made with dark chocolate, which the company claims has health benefits.
As reported by CNN:
"Called CocoaVia, the products are made with a kind of dark chocolate high in flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that is thought to have a blood-thinning effect similar to aspirin and may even lower blood pressure. The snacks also are enriched with vitamins and injected with cholesterol-lowering plant sterols from soy.
"But researchers are skeptical about using chocolate for its medicinal purposes and experts warn it's no substitute for a healthy diet...
"Mars created a new division, Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, to distribute CocoaVia. The company has sold the CocoaVia products online for a couple years. They are already available at retail stores in 34 states, selling for nearly $1 a bar."
If only someone could make cheeseburgers healthy, too.
What's Driving This Trend
- Dark Chocolate as Health Food
- Exploring the growing trend of using dark chocolate as a nutritious food option with potential health benefits.
- Functional Foods with Added Nutrients
- The rise of functional foods like CocoaVia that are enriched with vitamins and other beneficial ingredients.
- Consumers' Desire for Healthy Indulgences
- Addressing the demand for healthier snack options that still provide indulgence, like dark chocolate treats.
Who This Affects Most
- Food and Beverage
- Opportunities for creating innovative products in the food and beverage industry using dark chocolate with added health benefits.
- Nutraceuticals
- The nutraceutical industry can explore the incorporation of dark chocolate in functional foods and supplements.
- Wellness and Healthy Living
- Providing healthier alternatives in the wellness industry, such as dark chocolate products, that align with consumers' desire for better choices.
