Chocolate that fights wrinkles?

A bar of chocolate may help fight wrinkles, especially as chocolate products enriched with antioxidants are being developed.

One of the world's biggest chocolate makers says that a chocolate bar that fights wrinkles and slows ageing would be the latest food on the list of treats for a healthier life.

A study by Barry Callebaut found that eating 20 g a day of a special chocolate enriched with antioxidants, or flavanols, may help prevent wrinkles and make the skin brighter by supporting its elasticity and improving its moisture.

Consumers are increasingly anxious about the nutritional value of what they eat, and Barry Callebaut's claim for chocolate as a "superfood" follows food giants such as Nestlé and Danone, which have also pushed healthy eating.

Dark chocolate has known health benefits: thanks to its antioxidants, it helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Barry Callebaut said a Swiss team had worked on keeping the flavanols in cocoa beans during chocolate making, which let them produce bars rich in flavanols.

Chocolate and health don't seem to go together, but it's a very attractive idea: it's great to be able to eat something you love, when chocolate is probably the last thing on your list when you think of healthy food.

Smoking, pollution, caffeine and lack of sleep all help free radicals damage healthy cells and so speed up ageing, while flavanols help reduce this damage.

Food makers are working to add benefits to their products, and there is no doubt a market for good, healthy chocolate.

Richard Hurrell, a Swiss professor of human nutrition, said many studies confirm the positive effect of cocoa flavanols on the circulation: they lower blood pressure and so benefit the heart and blood vessels, as well as helping memory and fresh-looking skin.