Compared to Western countries, chocolate consumption in India is considered to be on the low side. Whilst per capita chocolate consumption is a buoyant 8 kilograms in the UK, it stands at a rather modest 165 grams in urban India. The recent international release of the film 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' should help manufacturers raise the profile of chocolate, but most companies remain puzzled as to what they must do to bring their products to the attention of the average Indian consumer.

Regional cocoa consumption
Europe -- 42.8%
Americas -- 25.9%
Africa -- 14.3%
Asia & Oceania -- 17.0%
Source: ICCO quarterly bulletin of cocoa statistics

Yet whilst most confectionary companies use innovative advertising campaigns in an attempt to 'tickle the taste buds' of the Indian consumer, chocolate's image may be enhanced by those companies pursuing a very different avenue for their products. Despite sceptical reactions from many observers, recent reports that a major confectionary company was seriously examining the pharmaceutical potential of chocolate achieved international media attention.

A healthy history

Strange though it may appear, the health-related properties of chocolate have long been debated, since Spanish conquistadors first described its use amongst the people of Central America. Archaeological evidence suggests that chocolate consumption in Central America may date back to as early as 500 BC. The Aztecs and the Mayan civilizations were experts at cultivating the cacao tree and using its seeds to produce a chocolate-like substance that they drank unsweetened. The Aztec Emperor Moctezuma is reported to have consumed several goblets of the drink, believing it to be an aphrodisiac. Many believed that the beverage would help them gain some of the wisdom of Quetzalcoatl, their God of learning and of the wind.

From Spain, chocolate gradually made its way across Europe, with many of its supporters endorsing its healthcare properties. As income rose and demand grew interest in its manufacture attracted a diverse group of people. A number of the initial manufacturers in Europe were actually chemists, as they possessed the necessary skills and equipment to refine the cocoa ingredients. Even today, some of the famous British chocolate companies can proudly trace their origins to these early chemists.

Hunting for the healthcare benefits

The transformation of chocolate from a beverage to a solid form widened its appeal and its usefulness. For instance, it proved popular with soldiers during both World Wars, as it represented a convenient energy-providing food. Furthermore, chocolate is known to be rich in magnesium.

Chocolate's long history and its mysterious origins hint at possible health benefits, but proving these using modern scientific methods has proved difficult. Those who love chocolate are likely to agree that it has mood-enhancing properties, but few would turn to it as a medical remedy. Nevertheless, even in modern times research into the medical properties of chocolate continues.

Chocolate contains a variety of compounds, but the flavanoids have attracted the attention of a number of researchers. Flavanoids are naturally occurring antioxidants that are found in a variety of foods. For many years, reports that flavanoids could reduce the risk of dementia, diabetes, heart attacks and stroke have been anecdotal, with few details on how this approach could be extended into mainstream medicine. Websites on the Internet abound with information on the health benefits of chocolate, but very few have any scientific credentials. However, some of the chocolate-based research has now found its way into peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals and so cannot be so casually dismissed.

In 2005, a paper was published in Hypertension, the Journal of the American Heart Association, which examined the effect of chocolate on blood pressure. Although the concept was not new, it was one of the first clinical studies to examine the effect of chocolate in people with hypertension. The authors found that dark chocolate resulted in a statistically significant decline in blood pressure and that this had been clinically meaningful. In contrast, white chocolate, which lacks flavanoids, did not have this effect on volunteers. Dark chocolate was also found to improve several measures of insulin resistance compared to the white chocolate group.

Interesting though the study was, the authors were careful to highlight that their study did not suggest that people with high blood pressure should eat dark chocolate as a remedy. Instead the interest of the researchers centred on the nature of the flavanoids responsible for the effects observed. Further examination of these flavanoids, in larger clinical studies was suggested as well as extending this approach to a variety of cardiovascular conditions.

Other studies have focused on theobromine, a methylxanthine that is found in chocolate. Researchers at Imperial College, London, recently published a study showing that theobromine was nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs when compared with codeine, often considered to be the best cough medicine. The existence of theobromine in chocolate led to media speculation that chocolate could prove beneficial in the suppression of coughs, but much more work needs to be carried out in this field before such an idea can be considered.

A new dawn for chocolate research

Chocolate-based research cannot be ignored but until now it has been viewed as an academic curiosity. Furthermore, most of the chocolate research has been sponsored by food companies and observers have suggested that transforming chocolate into a health-related product is not a new concept, but has resulted in little progress over the years. During 1995, Japan held an International Symposium on Chocolate and Cocoa Nutrition, which led to a series of popular television broadcasts called "the surprising effects of cocoa". This stimulated considerable medical research into the potential health benefits of chocolate - as well as huge sales of cocoa products.

Yet, the willingness of certain food companies to openly raise the idea that chocolate could have healthcare benefits could change how this research is viewed. The main driver of recent events appears to be Mars Inc., which held a conference in Switzerland where researchers discussed how pharmaceutical products could be derived from cocoa sources. It is not clear what is stimulating its confidence in publicising this work, but Mars Inc. is publicly upbeat about its latest developments and believes it possesses intellectual property of interest to pharmaceutical companies.

It claims to be discussing licensing deals and joint venture agreements based on developing products from cocoa-derived flavanoids. As the second-largest chocolate manufacturer in the USA and one of the world's largest food-processing companies, and with a reported value of over US$30 billion, its move towards the pharmaceutical sector cannot be ignored. For the pharmaceutical sector, which is seeking new sources of innovative products, this could be one of the most unusual avenues to be explored in a long time.

Not just yet…

For the moment the "chococeutical" remains a dream for optimistic researchers and chocoholics looking for a reason to indulge. Whilst the media think of amusing headlines pharmaceutical researchers can stick to eating chocolate rather than using it in their work.

-- The article is from Chiltern International, a Clinical Research Organisation based in Slough