Mars research might lead to medications.(NEWS)

MCLEAN, VA -- A Mars, Inc. research team says it has unearthed discoveries about cocoa's flavonols that show the compounds might be helpful in treating diabetes, stroke, vascular disease and dementia.

The company plans to work with the pharmaceutical industry to develop a new class of medicines incorporating flavonols, building on its scientists' discovery of how to synthesize the compounds found in dark chocolate.

Mars says it has spent 15 years and more than $10 million researching the potential health benefits of flavonols and has developed hundreds of compounds that mimic their blood-thinning properties. The company revealed its findings at a two-day conference in Switzerland that brought together 20 international scientists.

"The mounting scientific evidence on cocoa flavonols is extraordinary," says Harvard Medical School professor Norm Hollenberg. "This is a scientific breakthrough that could well lead to a medical breakthrough."

"We have a valuable asset that's not just about food, it's about the pharmaceutical sector," adds Mars Chief Science Officer Dr. Harold Schmitz.

Mars says it will continue to explore ways to add the compound to foods through its recently formed business unit, Mars Nutrition for Health & Well Being. The unit's first product is the company's existing line of Cocoa Via-brand granola-based snack bars. ...