More good news about chocolate
Mars (as in the folks that make Mars bars and not the planet) is talking with pharmaceutical companies “to develop medications that use a component of cocoa to help treat diabetes, strokes and vascular disease”.
We have heard for a while that flavanols help to clear arteries and improve blood flow, and that chocolate is a natural source for them. Well, now someone is taking it a step further and is trying to isolate them and sell them. I’m not sure if they intend them to be actual OTC meds or just “dietary supplements”. I think I may get my cocoa dietary supplements from a big brown bar instead of a pill.
I actually had to chuckle about this article because its Mars making the “medications” as they call them. Something about it makes me suspicious. Like when the whole potassium-from-bananas thing hit. Yes, I like bananas, but I found it curious they started plastering “good source of potassium” on every banana in the store, as if we had all been walking around lifeless and drained, helplessly low on potassium. Oh wait! Bananas have potassium! We’re saved!
Let’s not forget there’s so damn much potassium in half the processed foods that people eat, that it would be an absolute miracle if you weren’t sweating the stuff. Hey wait a minute… ;)
The next thing you know, Kmart will announce that shopping lowers your blood pressure, and start hosting Heart Health Day sales. Free blood pressure monitoring (before and after shopping). 10% off all health products. And a free Mars CocoaVia bar (with extra flavanols).
Ah, well. Its a snide comment, I know. Its that dark side coming out again. Where’s my damn chocolate?
July 25th, 2005 13:18
And the Heart Health Day sale that they have today will be THEIR BIGGEST SALE EVER. And the hearts will all be blue with flashing lites inside.
Tee hee.
You crack me up.
July 25th, 2005 15:10
It’s a good thing I waited until after lunch to read this, or I’d be craving a Mars bar. Stick to the blueberries, Karen!
July 25th, 2005 15:56
The dark side, eh? You mean DARK CHOCOLATE SIDE?
July 25th, 2005 16:40
Aaah, U sooo fuhnnny!
Hey, I thought it was Walmart that already came up with that Heart Healthy day.
July 25th, 2005 17:27
lol that is so funny. Mars bars have been taken off the shelves here recently due to them being contaminated! there are a lot of unhappy chocolate lovers
July 25th, 2005 21:45
My personal mainstream favorite with nuts, raisins AND chocloate is the Chunky and, dang, i they haven’t lost market share and dropped of most candy shelves.
July 26th, 2005 00:04
Heh!!!! Hilarious. I swear I gain five pounds every time I come to your site though!
July 26th, 2005 01:19
Love your comments, made my day!
July 26th, 2005 19:26
There is NOTHING funny here. How can the truth about Chocolate be funny?
THIS IS AWESOME!!!
July 26th, 2005 19:52
It’s a nice thought, anyway. I’d rather take some chocolate than a pill!
July 26th, 2005 23:03
The “dark side coming out again”? Would that refer to the chocolate or to you? ’cause I prefer dark over milk any day.
Pretty soon they will come up with a flavanol bar with extra potassium so that you can become really healthy. Nevermind exercise and watching what you eat…
July 27th, 2005 08:23
I hear ya about the bananas. It’s the tomatoes “now with lycopene”. As if there wasn’t lycopene in them before, and farmers inject the tomatoes.
July 27th, 2005 15:12
That confirms it. I always knew chocolate was health food.