CocoaVia™ snacks are created to promote overall heart health. Like green tea and red wine, cocoa beans contain nature-given antioxidants called flavanols that scientists believe may help promote a healthy heart. After years of research, the makers of Dove™ Brand Chocolates have perfected the breakthrough CocoaPro™ process, the only patented process that retains most of the naturally occurring flavanols. The result is delicious real chocolate that's indulgent and healthy. With each portion of CocoaVia™, you're getting at least 100 mg of cocoa flavanols (antioxidants) — the highest of any chocolate snack on a per-calorie basis.

With heart disease remaining a big killer in rich countries, the makers of Mars bars say that Americans increasingly are looking for options to improve their heart health. Now there’s a new product hitting store shelves that will allow them to satisfy their passion for chocolate while being good to their heart.

Why not even increase the impact by washing down the chocolate with a good glass of red wine!

Masterfoods says that CocoaVia™ is a revolutionary new line of heart-healthy snacks that combines real chocolate pleasure with ingredients formulated to promote a healthy heart. Ingredients in CocoaVia™ can significantly reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels and promote healthy circulation to maintain heart health.

Created after more than a decade of research, CocoaVia™ is the only product that contains a patented blend of heart-healthy cocoa flavanols and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols from soy. The new line of snacks also is fortified with calcium and a mix of heart-healthy nutrients including folic acid, vitamins B-6, B-12, C and E. CocoaVia™ is made by Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, a new division of Mars, Incorporated, makers of some of the world’s best-loved, great-tasting chocolate brands.

“CocoaVia™ is the vanguard of our efforts to ‘reinvent’ cocoa as an ingredient in healthful foods,” said Dr. Harold Schmitz, chief science officer at Mars. “It’s a first-of-its-kind product that was purposely designed to deliver heart-health benefits and real chocolate pleasure in products that are less than 150 calories per serving.”

Mars first introduced CocoaVia™ granola-based snack bars nearly two years ago and sold the product exclusively on the Internet. Now a full line of CocoaVia™ products – including new chocolate bars (original, crispy and blueberry & almond) and chocolate-covered almonds – will be available at retail beginning in October.

Science-Based Benefits

Mars is the global leader in cocoa science, collaborating with researchers at leading universities like Harvard and the University of California-Davis to explore the health benefits of cocoa flavanols – the powerhouse compounds found naturally in cocoa beans that are similar to those found in red wine and green tea. Scientists have been encouraged by the growing number of independent studies that indicate cocoa flavanols may help influence factors associated with clotting and promote a healthy blood flow. Other studies suggest that cocoa flavanols can improve the health of blood vessels and reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that can lead to clogged arteries.

“It is clear that cocoa flavanols represent an intriguing new area of research with significant implications for nutrition and cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Carl L. Keen, a professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California-Davis, who has led multiple studies on the health benefits of cocoa flavanols.

While flavanols are found naturally in cocoa beans, traditional cocoa processing often destroys many of these potentially heart-healthy compounds.

“Flavanols are essentially missing from much of the chocolate on store shelves today,” said Schmitz. “Research clearly shows that a high cocoa or dark chocolate content cannot guarantee that a product can deliver the same potential heart-health benefits as the Mars flavanol-rich cocoa.

After 15 years of scientific research on flavanols, Mars developed a patented and proprietary process called Cocoapro® that helps ensure the heart-healthy flavanols remain active and are not destroyed. This technology guarantees that CocoaVia™ contains a consistent level of cocoa flavanols – which is what really counts when you’re talking about cocoa and heart health, according to Schmitz.

“The very exciting potential heart-health benefits of cocoa flavanols is not about simply adding more cocoa or consuming any dark chocolate,” he added. “In fact, the percentage of cocoa in a product is meaningless. Research from several universities clearly shows that it’s about retaining the flavanols from the cocoa bean so you’re confident of enjoying a flavanol-rich, cocoa-based product.”

Each serving of CocoaVia™ contains at least 100 milligrams of naturally occurring cocoa flavanols. And since each serving is packed with the heart-healthy flavanols, you can eat a relatively small portion and still reap the benefits. That means less fat and fewer calories compared to a regular, larger-sized chocolate bar. A 0.78-ounce CocoaVia™ Original Chocolate Bar contains 100 calories, while a serving of the CocoaVia™ Chocolate-Covered Almonds contains 140 calories.

Heart-Healthy Regimen

Research conducted at the University of California-Davis and reported at the American Heart Association meeting this past November found that two servings of CocoaVia™ snack bars significantly lowered total and LDL cholesterol levels, without impacting HDL or “good” cholesterol. Each snack bar contains 1.5 grams of natural plant sterols from soy.

“Natural plant sterols are a clinically proven ingredient that can lower blood cholesterol,” said Schmitz, who directs a multi-million dollar research budget at Mars. “Many cardiologists and family physicians have been recommending sterol-fortified products like margarines to their at-risk patients as a way to help lower elevated cholesterol levels. Now, there’s a great-tasting option that naturally combines these cholesterol-lowering benefits with the exciting potential cardiovascular health benefits of cocoa flavanols.”

Including natural plant sterols from soy in the diet has been recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program as one lifestyle change that can lower cholesterol levels significantly. The Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim based on the evidence that natural plant sterols may help reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol.

“When eaten everyday, CocoaVia™ can help contribute to a heart-healthy lifestyle,” said Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University. “Combined with daily exercise and a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, CocoaVia™ can play a valuable role in maintaining heart health.”

Captures Your Passion for Chocolate Pleasure

“While the product provides real chocolate pleasure, you will only find it in the healthy foods section, not the candy aisle” said Jim Cass, vice president of sales and marketing at Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being. “That’s because it delivers real heart-health benefits supported by sound science.”

The brand name “CocoaVia™” was derived from the vision that a new and exciting way to good health is through flavanol-rich cocoa. Cass said CocoaVia™ is the nexus of taste and health – the only snack that provides real chocolate pleasure and real heart-health benefits.

“Who knows more about capturing great chocolate taste than Mars, the makers of some of the country’s best-loved chocolate brands such as M&M’S®, Dove® Chocolates and Snickers®, ” said Cass. “We’ve been able to maximize the flavor and the health benefits in one unique cocoa-based product.”

CocoaVia™ will be sold in the healthy foods section of grocery stores, drug stores and mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart and Target. The new line of CocoaVia™ products, which includes the tagline “Be Good to Your Heart Every Day” on the label, can be pre-ordered before they are available in stores at www.cocoavia.com.

Not Altogether a Cost-free Choice

"Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the world, and chocolate is the No. 1 favorite ingredient in the world," said Jim Cass, Mars's vice president of marketing, according to a New York Times report. "When you put those two giant macro trends together, we know this is a big idea."

The newspaper says some nutritionists are skeptical, though, saying that the effort seems less of a breakthrough than a sly way to scare up chocolate sales.

CocoaVia products, some previously sold on the Internet, have between 80 and 140 calories apiece, depending on the variety, and 2 to 11 grams of fat. At two servings a day, that adds up to as much as 280 calories for the chocolate-covered almonds - equivalent to the calories in a two-ounce Snickers bar.

"That is serious calories," said Alice H. Lichtenstein, a Tufts University professor who is chairwoman of the nutrition committee of the American Heart Association. "We can only hope that the consumer is smart enough to realize that you can't just add something on top of what you are normally eating - even if it is good for you - because you are going to gain weight."

Marlene Machut, a Mars spokeswoman, calls the calorie level in CocoaVia "nutritionally responsible."

Lately, Mars has more than nutritionists haunting it. CocoaVia started hitting the shelves last month - packaged in boxes of five for about $5 a box - just as some of Mars's chief competitors, the Hershey Company and Nestlé, have been repackaging items to banner the presence of "natural flavanol antioxidants."

The New York Times says that during a talk with analysts this month, Richard H. Lenny, the chief executive of Hershey, called the dark chocolate category a "major growth platform." He told of a new Yale University study - sponsored by Hershey and yet to be peer-reviewed - that found that eating Hershey's Extra Dark chocolate improved blood pressure and blood flow because of the candy's higher level of natural flavanol antioxidants. In the study, 45 people were fed 2.6 ounces (two servings) of Extra Dark, which also contained 420 calories.

"These results enable us to better communicate with consumers the positive aspects of antioxidants and dark chocolate," Mr. Lenny said.

Such claims are troubling to Harold Schmitz, Mars's chief scientist and one of the driving forces behind the development of CocoaVia. He said that competitors were potentially misleading consumers by talking about antioxidants in chocolate when it was the level and kind of flavanols that really made a difference.