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dark chocolate really has a good body, and scientists now have a better idea why. Gut bacteria break down the large compound in its key ingredient, cocoa powder, into smaller molecules that may inhibit harmful inflammation, the researchers reported today at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Dallas, Texas. In laboratory experiments, scientists have processed cocoa with stomach and pancreatic enzymes and the sample washed to remove soluble molecules in water. They then fed the insoluble material remaining bacteria cultured from samples lab members stool (yes, they pooped in a cup for this study) and fermented in anaerobic conditions similar to those of the ileum and colon. The fermentation products acted as anti-inflammatory when applied to monolayers of the digestive tract that researchers were exposed to inflammatory stimuli. The results suggest that we can thank our intestinal bacteria to give dark chocolate its touted health benefits.
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