CocoaVia is a brand name for a daily

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

extract supplement. The name CocoaVia is a registered

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

of Mars Inc.

Brand history

In 2003, the CocoaVia brand was first launched by Mars Chocolate. It was the first

functional food A functional food is a food claimed to have an additional benefit beyond just nutrition (often one related to health promotion or disease prevention) by modifying the horticulture, cultivation of the native food or by food additive, adding ingr ...

launched by Mars, Incorporated. CocoaVia featured a line of dark chocolate bars and chews that contained cocoa

flavanols Flavan-3-ols (sometimes referred to as flavanols) are a subgroup of flavonoids. They are derivatives of flavans that possess a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2''H''-chromen-3-ol skeleton. Flavan-3-ols are structurally diverse and include a range of comp ...

and plant sterols. After the initial launch, the brand expanded its product line, introducing a range of products including milk chocolate,

granola Granola is a food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, honey or other sweeteners such as brown sugar, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp, toasted and golden brown. The mixture is stirred while baking to avoid b ...

bars, chocolate covered almonds, and ready to drink beverages. In 2009, Mars Chocolate discontinued the original line of CocoaVia. Also in 2009, Mars Botanical launched CirkuHealth, a cocoa extract-based dietary supplement. This was the first supplement launched by Mars, Incorporated and it featured cocoa extract that delivered cocoa flavanols. In 2010, Mars Botanical launched two new products - CocoaVia and Cirku. Both were powdered cocoa extract supplements. CocoaVia came in sweetened and unsweetened dark chocolate flavors. These products had originally been launched under the brand CirkuHealth but were rebranded as CocoaVia. The Cirku brand offered a line of fruit flavored cocoa extract supplements and came in four varieties. In 2012, the CocoaVia package graphics were redesigned. As part of the package graphics change, the Cirku flavored cocoa extract supplements were rebranded under the CocoaVia brand name. Th
U.S. CocoaVia website
is used to sell CocoaVia supplements.

Product

CocoaVia is a daily cocoa extract supplement that contains 450 milligrams of

flavanols per serving. Flavanols are naturally occurring

phytonutrients Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring chemicals present in or extract, extracted from plants. Some phytochemicals are nutrients for the plant, while others are metabolites produced to enhance plant survivability and reproduction. The field ...

. Scientists have identified a unique mixture of

present in cocoa.

Cocoa flavanols and Cocoapro

Although all chocolate is made from

cocoa bean The cocoa bean, also known as cocoa () or cacao (), is the dried and fully fermented seed of ''Theobroma cacao'', the cacao tree, from which cocoa solids (a mixture of nonfat substances) and cocoa butter (the fat) can be extracted. Cacao tree ...

s, a natural source of cocoa flavanols, not all chocolate or cocoa-based products contain cocoa flavanols because most traditional cocoa handling and processing procedures can destroy them. As a result, percent of cocoa (cacao) is not a reliable indicator of the level of cocoa flavanols. Gentle handling and processing of the cocoa bean, from harvesting the bean through delivery of the product, are critical in preserving cocoa flavanols.

References

{{Mars confectionery products Mars brands Brand name chocolate Patented foods