Dark chocolate is known to help prevent heart disease, because cocoa contains chemicals called flavanols(黄烷醇)that may help reduc

Dark chocolate is known to help prevent heart disease, because cocoa contains chemicals called flavanols(黄烷醇)that may help reduce the risk of strokes and(26)heart attacks by lowering blood pressure. But eating too much of it may be not so good for your body weight. But never fear! Scientists are looking for a way to(27)concentrate dark chocolate’s helpful ingredients in supplemental pills.
    "A lot of people are(28)gravitating towards dark chocolate because they just decide they love it, and they also have been reading all about the health benefits of dark chocolate," Washington chocolatier Steve Koumanelis says.
    But those benefits have not been(29)confirmed by studies involving large numbers of people. Also, during the(30)manufacture of chocolate, many flavanols are destroyed, while sugar and saturated fats are added to(31)contribute to flavor.
    Scientists now want to learn the benefits of flavanols in their unadulterated(没有掺杂的)form. They plan a four-year study of 18 000 adults who will take capsules of pure cocoa flavanols. Participants, divided in two groups, will take two(32)identical pills a day. One group’s pills will contain flavanols, while the others will get placebo pills.
    "The amount of chocolate that it would take in order to have this amount of cocoa flavanols would be more than ten times the amount that people would(33)ordinarily eat," says Manson. Whatever the outcome of the study, Koumanelis says he’s not worried about his business. "People like the experience of actually(34)biting into a piece of chocolate, whatever their favorites are," he says.
    The flavanol benefits test is still in the early stage, so scientists are not sure when the participants will be handed their first chocolate pills.(35)In the meantime, they’ll get their flavanols the old fashioned way!