Can chilli pepper and flax seeds make chocolate healthier?

Researchers at SCIENCE are developing a chocolate which increases your combustion. The chocolate consists of dark chocolate with chilli pepper and flax seed fibres.

 

Researchers from SCIENCE have found that chilli pepper impacts combustion, while dark chocolate may boost the sensation of satiety. In a new project, they will try to further develop the chocolate which, in addition to chilli pepper, also contains flax seed fibres.

Apart from being a satisfying food, flax seed fibres also have good fat binding properties, and the researchers thus hope that the chocolate will help people from overeating.

 

“It would be very interesting if ordinary people could use the chocolate as an element in their diet and thus eat less,” says Arne Astrup, Professor and Head of Department of Human Nutrition at the Faculty of Life Sciences, to Videnskab.dk.

 

Even though the chocolate is healthy, it has also been necessary to ensure that it is tasty as it must be a useful alternative to plain dark chocolate. The researchers have therefore spent time on developing a flavour that agrees with everyone.

 

“We have been experimenting with making chocolates in different shapes and have now decided on a handful of different types. After having put our tests on stand-by for a couple of years, we will now start testing whether the chocolates have the desired physiological effect body,” says Professor Arne Astrup to Videnskab.dk.

 

24-hour chocolate testing

To test the effect of the chocolate, tests will carried out on ordinary people who will be placed in special test chambers for 24 hours. Fitted with a special toilet which collects urine and faeces for subsequent analysis, the test chambers are capable of measuring, e.g., the test subjects’ combustion.

 

The test subjects will be spending two periods in the chambers. On day 1, they will be given plain dark chocolate, and on day two, they will be given the researchers’ dark chocolate.

 

“We will be measuring their calorie intake, combustion and the loss of calories in their stool. This will enable us to see whether our chocolate actually benefits the body in the way we expect,” says Professor Arne Astrup to Videnskab.dk

 

Even though the researchers have patented the addition of flax seed fibres to chocolate, making a profit was never a project objective. Instead, the researchers hope that the findings will serve as an inspiration to the industry and a potential collaboration, so that the Danes will be able to eat a healthier dark chocolate.