Dark chocolate is a functional food and a superfood, due to its high content of flavanols, antioxidants and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, iron and copper.
Secondly, fortifying chocolate with active nutraceuticals creates a pleasurable and especially effective experience: the natural healthy fats in chocolate act as a carrier to improve the digestion and bioavailability of the other ingredients.
As such, The Functional Chocolate Company believes that chocolate is the perfect base to enhance with its unique nutraceutical formulas.
Chocolate offers a delicious way to deliver essential nutrients. This increases the chances of regular consumption, which is often harder with less appealing options like pills or capsules.
The global functional food and beverage market is on the rise. According to Fortune Business Insights, it is projected to grow from $281.14 billion in 2021 to $529.66 billion by 2028, with an annual growth rate of 9.5%.
This growth shows a significant opportunity for the industry. However, as noted by The Functional Chocolate Company, functional foods can address even broader possibilities beyond these statistics.
According to the World Economic Forum, anxiety is currently the biggest mental health problem worldwide.
Similarly, sleep problems affect 80% of Americans, 73% of women are not addressing menopausal symptoms, and more than 55% of people have pain issues, all of which can be addressed through functional approaches.
Dark chocolate
Customers are searching for innovative ways to address everyday health concerns.
In the natural products market, «pill fatigue» is a growing trend. Many consumers no longer want to rely on pills, capsules, or powders to meet their health needs.
At the same time, people are seeking better value for their money and calories. In this context, combining ethically sourced chocolate with powerful nutraceutical blends offers a unique solution.
But what exactly are functional foods, and why are they so promising?
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, functional foods include whole foods, as well as fortified, enriched, or enhanced options. These foods provide health benefits when consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet and at levels supported by credible evidence.
The term «functional foods» is broad. It includes both foods that have a positive impact on health and «fortified foods» that contain additional health-boosting ingredients like vitamins, minerals, probiotics, or nutraceuticals.
Calcium-fortified orange juice is one of the «original» functional foods, well-known and loved by many.
Today, functional foods come in many forms. These range from nootropics to potato chips to adaptogenic coffee, with many other products in between.