The Gift of Antioxidants

In 1900, Hershey Foods began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes. With mass production, they were able to lower the per-unit cost and made milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all.

Last year Hershey Foods sold $5.7 billion of chocolate. But selling chocolate to the corporate market isn’t like selling it to consumers standing in the supermarket checkout line. We know distributors face opposition at times from buyers – “Chocolate is bad for you so we don’t want to give it as a gift.”

What your customers may not know is that chocolate offers health benefits.

According to a study conducted by Hershey Foods’ scientists earlier this year, small bars of dark chocolate and cocoa triumphed over blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate and acai fruit juices in tests for Flavonoids. Flavonoids are an antioxidant family credited with feats from preventing wrinkles to cutting the risk of heart disease. (Most studies to date highlight dark chocolate over milk chocolate because it has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, and provides more flavanol antioxidants, but all chocolate is beneficial.)

Other good news about chocolate*:

• A 1.5 ounce chocolate bar contains about the same amount of total phenolic compounds as a 5-oz. serving of red wine.




• Chocolate contains a neurotransmitter, serotonin, which is thought to act as an anti-depressant and help people feel calm and relaxed.




• Chocolate is high in potassium and magnesium, and vitamins B1, B2, D and E.




• The amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is about 10%-30% less than the caffeine found in a cup of coffee.




• Chocolate helps increase blood flow to prevent strokes and heart attacks.




• Studies have shown the smell of chocolate may relax us by increasing theta waves in the brain (a very positive mental state).

We realize, of course, that chocolate is high in fat and sugar. Provided it’s eaten as part of a balanced diet and in moderation, dieticians and nutritionists say it’s safe to enjoy.

*If you’d like a list of the sources where we obtained this data, let us know.