Flavanols (also known as flavan-3-ols) are generally known for their positive impact on cardiovascular health, but further investigation is needed to understand how exactly the body metabolises them, how individuals differ in their flavanol uptake, as well as the best diet to benefit from flavanols-containing foods in Europe where overweight and unwholesome nutrition are of increasing concern.

The European Union under the FR7 Research Programme have awarded €4.05 million funding for the FLAVIOLA project which will identify the fundamental science that underlies the growing scientific concensus on the health benefits of flavanol-rich food.

Professor Malte Kelm, head of the department of Cardiology, Pulmonary diseases, Vascular medicine and intensive care at Heinrich Heine University, Dusseldorf and FLAVIOLA Scientific Director said “Two specific aspects make FLAVIOLA a unique research project. Firstly, FLAVIOLA aims at developing an optimised flavanol-rich diet without altering the natural flavanol source or enriching dietary flavanol contents. This, in conjunction with maximal flavanol preservation during food processing, will enable dietary flavanol uptake sufficient to ensure health benefits without sophisticated manipulations. Secondarily, the FLAVIOLA approach is a truly European one: we benefit from a wealth of complementary contributions of recognised national research institutes and universities. We take into account geographic differences in terms of diet composition and consumer preference, as well as divergent attitudes towards healthy life styles across Europe".

see flavanol science and FLAVIOLA websites