The studies keep pouring in showing the healthy benefits of dark chocolate, not that many of us require an excuse to consume this tasty treat. Now the latest research shows that eating 100 mg of flavanol rich cocoa a day (a little over 3 ounces) can provide significant protection against the harmful rays of the sun.

German researchers studied 24 women ages 18 - 64, half of whom drank a flavanol rich cocoa drink each morning with their breakfast. After 6 weeks, those women experienced 15% less damage from UV rays than their chocolate deprived counterparts. After 12 weeks the percentage increased to 25%.

Blood flow to the skin also doubled in the cocoa drinkers and their skin became 11% thicker, 16% denser, 13% moister, 30% less rough and 42% less scaly. Flavanols are a group of flavonoids which have potent antioxidant properties and it is these which researchers believe are responsible for the results of this study.

Now that summer is in full swing, extra care needs to be taken to look after your skin. Adding a little dark chocolate to your diet can be a delicious way to get a bit of extra protection. If you?re concerned about the calories, CocoaVia provides flavanol rich portions that contain less than 100 calories each.?

Bon appetit!