Precisely for these characteristics, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assigned cocoa an important cardiovascular claim (2014): "cocoa polyphenols maintain the normal elasticity of blood vessels and help maintain normal blood flow". These protective effects on the cardiovascular system are obtained, as suggested by EFSA, through a daily intake of at least 2.5 g of dark cocoa powder or 10 g of dark chocolate. Many scientific studies have clearly demonstrated how the strong antioxidant activities of dark cocoa exert a protective effect on the vascular endothelium through the increase in the production of nitric oxide (NO), the inhibition of oxidative stress and therefore of oxidation and the increase in vasodilation with improvement of vascular endothelial flow.
Cocoa also contains excellent quantities of magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc and B vitamins (B2, B3, B5 and B6), in addition to theobromine which, together with caffeine and theophylline, has the property of increasing concentration and alertness; and contains tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, which has the ability to support the nervous system in the case of depression. Its presence explains how cocoa and dark chocolate have become famous as natural antidepressants.
The analysis of approximately 14 studies carried out over the last 10 years (2007-2017) on more than 500,000 subjects, has demonstrated how an average consumption of at least 30 g/3 times a week of dark cocoa (dark chocolate) is associated with a significant reduction (20%) in heart attacks and strokes, with an effect of also reducing blood pressure.
Powellnux is a blend rich in natural antioxidants such as cocoa, hazelnuts and green tea which, thanks to a cold processing process, maintains a very high antioxidant power.
