Peanut skins can make milk chocolate as healthy as dark

THE health benefits of dark chocolate can be recreated in the milk variety by adding extracts from peanut skins and coffee grounds, a US government study has found.

Immune-supporting antioxidants known as phenolic compounds are said to be found in dark chocolate and supposedly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

These molecules are what give dark chocolate its distinctively bitter taste and alleged anti-inflammatory benefits.

Researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture have found a way to combine the sweetness of milk chocolate and the health benefits of dark chocolate by adding phenolic-rich peanut skins to milk chocolate.

The extract from peanut skins would otherwise have been discarded as agricultural waste.

Around 15 per cent of each skin’s weight is phenolic compound, making them a “gold mine of antioxidant bioactivity”.

Dr Lisa Dean, who co-authored the study, said: “Phenolics are very bitter, so we had to find some way to mitigate that sensation.

“In fact, the natural presence of phenolic compounds is what gives dark chocolate its bitterness, along with less fat and sugar compared to its cousin milk chocolate.

“We plan to further explore the use of peanut skins, coffee grounds and other waste products into additional foods.

“In particular, whether the antioxidants in peanut skins extend the shelf life of nut butters, which can go rancid quickly because of their high fat content.”