Good news for chocoholics: A new line of candies touted to have health benefits will be launched next month.

CocoaVia are made with dark chocolate rich in flavonols, according to its maker, Masterfoods (Mars) also the maker of Milky Way, Snickers and M&M candies. Flavonols, as we mentioned before, are an antioxidant found in cocoa beans. It is thought that they thin blood like aspirin. CocoaVia chocolates are also "enriched with vitamins and injected with cholesterol-lowering plant sterols from soy".

However, concerned with the rising rates of obesity in the US, health professionals are wary about promoting chocolate as a health food.

Makes sense. Even if it is rich in antioxidants, substances such as sugar, milk and other ingredients go with it when it is consumed.

What then is the benefit of CocoaVia and other dark chocolates? Well, for health-conscious people like us, they broaden our alternatives. If a bar of chocolate each week (or month) is what I consider moderate, then I can choose a healthier alternative than the usual. That is the added value.

Now excuse me as I exercise to make room for my indulgence. ;-)

Candy Makers Cater To The Health-Conscious from CBS Chicago
photo from the CocoaVia website