In Canada they seek volunteers for a study of the qualities as a chocolate sunscreen.
Chocolate is nothing more than an excellent source of antioxidants, alkaloids, natural antidepressants and serotonin, now it seems that it is also an excellent natural sunscreen.
To verify this hypothesis, the Laval University of Quebec seeks volunteers to eat dark chocolate, daily, for 12 weeks and thus check if this food can act as a sunscreen. “Dark chocolate contains some natural antioxidants, polyphenols, that could protect the body from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays , ” said study coordinator Bruno Riverin.
In order for the study to be scientific, researchers need 60 healthy women between the ages of 25 and 65, with light skin and non-smokers willing to eat dark chocolate rich in polyphenols for three months.
According to Riverin’s team, polyphenols favor blood circulation near the skin, which helps protect it from sunlight. This study follows in the wake of two previous European investigations that already linked dark chocolate with photoprotection, but enlarges the sample to 60 and makes it more homogeneous when analyzing only women, which prevents the results from being altered by the difference in hormonal mechanisms according to sex.
The objective is to demonstrate that, in a group of women with similar characteristics and subjected to equal sun exposure, those who regularly drink dark chocolate better withstand ultraviolet rays.
“If we verify our hypothesis, dark chocolate may contribute to sun protection, but it will not be in any case a substitute for the mechanisms recommended by the World Health Organization, such as sun creams,” Riverin said.