CocoaVia facts for kids
| Owner | Mars Inc. |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 2003 |
CocoaVia is a special daily supplement made from cocoa extract. It's like a boost for your body! The company Mars Inc. owns the name CocoaVia.
Contents
The Story of CocoaVia
CocoaVia first started in 2003. It was created by Mars Chocolate. This was the first "functional food" from Mars. A functional food is something that gives you health benefits beyond just basic nutrition.
Early Products
When CocoaVia first came out, it offered dark chocolate bars and chews. These treats had special ingredients called cocoa flavanols. They also contained plant sterols, which are good for you. Later, the brand grew. It added milk chocolate, granola bars, chocolate-covered almonds, and even drinks.
Changes Over Time
In 2009, Mars Chocolate stopped making the first CocoaVia products. But in the same year, another part of Mars, called Mars Botanical, launched a new supplement. It was named CirkuHealth. This supplement also used cocoa extract with flavanols.
In 2010, Mars Botanical introduced two new powdered supplements. They were called CocoaVia and Cirku. The CocoaVia powder came in sweetened and unsweetened dark chocolate flavors. These were the same products that used to be called CirkuHealth. The Cirku brand offered cocoa extract supplements with fruit flavors.
New Look for CocoaVia
In 2012, CocoaVia got a fresh new look. The packaging was redesigned. As part of this change, the fruit-flavored Cirku supplements were also renamed CocoaVia. So, all the cocoa extract supplements became part of the CocoaVia brand.
Today, you can find and buy CocoaVia supplements on the U.S. CocoaVia website.
What is CocoaVia?
CocoaVia is a daily supplement. Each serving has 450 milligrams of cocoa flavanols. Flavanols are natural plant nutrients. Scientists have found a special mix of these flavanols in cocoa.
Cocoa Flavanols and Cocoapro
All chocolate comes from cocoa beans. Cocoa beans are a natural source of cocoa flavanols. However, not all chocolate or cocoa products have many flavanols. This is because the way cocoa is handled and processed can destroy them.
So, just knowing the percentage of cocoa in a chocolate bar doesn't tell you how many flavanols it has. It's very important to handle and process the cocoa bean gently. This helps keep the cocoa flavanols safe from the farm to the final product.
