Abstract

Plant-based diet protects against chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Dietary plants contain variable chemical families and amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols. It has been reported that the polyphenol-rich Mediterranean Diet as well as flavonoid-rich foods (cocoa, red wine, olive oil etc.) are able to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. According to this, the Mediterranean Diet has been considered a correlated food model to thestyle of life. Further, flavonoids seem to be a fundamental part of “healthy diets”. Mediterranean Diet is progressively abandoned and industrial manufactures progressively change healthy ingredients to unhealthy foods. In particular, cocoabeans have been considered the richest known source of flavonoids. Even so, during the chocolate processing up to 85percent of the original flavanol content is vanished. Loosing the healthy active constituents of diet could promote the development of a variety of diseases collectively considered significant causes of disability and premature death also imposing a substantial economic burden.