FAQs
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Cocoa Extract Benefits and Product Attributes
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Q: Who should buy CirkuHealth™?
A: People who want to help maintain healthy circulation. Healthy circulation is important to everyone. Heart health, brain health, eye health and even exercise performance depend on a healthy circulation system for support.
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Q: How can I get CirkuHealth™?
A: CirkuHealth™ will be available for purchase online starting Fall 2009 at www.CirkuHealth.com.
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Q: What are the benefits of CirkuHealth™?
A: CirkuHealth™ contains cocoa extract – which contains flavanols, the active plant compounds which help maintain healthy circulation.* Here’s what CirkuHealth™ offers:
• It’s a concentrated source of cocoa flavanols made using a patented process that preserves the phytonutrient content
• Contains 30 calories per serving
• 0.5 grams of fat per serving
• Delicious taste of cocoa
• Available in sweetened or original
• Convenient on the go packaging
• Add to hot or cold milk, coffee, yogurt, hot cereal, a protein shake or more.
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Q: What flavors / varieties of CirkuHealth™ are available?
A: Coming Fall 2009, CirkuHealth is offered as a natural cocoa extract product, in original (no sweetener added) or sweetened (sucralose) varieties.
Cocoa Extract
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Q: Why cocoa extract?
A: Cocoa extract naturally contains flavanols, a group of plant compounds also present in other foods including tea, wine and some fruits and vegetables. They are linked to powerful circulatory benefits.*
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Q: What are the benefits of cocoa flavanols?
A: Cocoa flavanols are a specific group of flavonoids. Research on cocoa has shown the flavanols in cocoa extract help maintain healthy circulation.* Flavanols are a natural way to help renew your body. Over the last two decades, scientists have pinpointed a range of potential circulatory health benefits from cocoa flavanols.* Healthy circulation gives your body the oxygen and nutrients where it needs them, when it needs them, to help you feel your best.
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Q: Can flavanol content decrease over time?
A: As the product comes in a month’s supply, we recommend use within a month of purchase. Flavanol content in the cocoa extract can decrease over time under extreme circumstances, like high heat; however, CirkuHealth is formulated and manufactured under strictly controlled conditions to preserve the level of flavanols in the cocoa extract. In typical cupboard conditions, flavanol content is stable.
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Q: What are procyanidins?
A: Procyanidins are chains of flavanol molecules, known as oligimers, found in cocoa and associated with benefits for circulation.*
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Q: What is the difference between CirkuHealth™ and other cocoa products that claim to contain cocoa flavanols?
A: CirkuHealth™ contains a cocoa extract produced with a patented, proprietary process. CirkuHealth™ products guarantee a concentrated source of flavanols in every serving. Other commercial cocoas are not produced to preserve flavanols. In fact, many manufacturers remove a large portion of the flavanols as a result of their production processes.
Mars, Incorporated, a leader in cocoa research, has conducted numerous studies on cocoa products that preserve the phytonutrient content of cocoa. The natural cocoa extract in CirkuHealth™ is produced by the patented Cocoapro® process that guarantees a concentrated source of cocoa flavanols. At Mars Botanical, we promise to deliver a great tasting, quality product while striving for sustainability. This is our Cirku Guarantee.
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Q: Are flavanols the same as flavonols?
A: No. Flavanols are often confused with another class of flavonoids spelled flavonols (with an o), which have a similar chemical structure but are not found in cocoa. Flavonol is contained in tea, onions, apples and some berries. Flavanols, like those found in our cocoa, have been shown to help maintain healthy circulation.*
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Q: What is the difference between flavonoids and flavanols?
A: Flavonoids represent a diverse class of naturally occurring compounds that can be found in a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. Scientists estimate there are 6,000-20,000 individual polyphenol compounds in nature. Flavanols are a distinct group of compounds within the flavonoid family and are the predominant flavonoids in tea, red wine and cocoa.
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Q: Are flavanols antioxidants?
A: Flavanols have shown antioxidant activity in test tube research, but these results do not necessarily carry over to humans. Human research has shown that the health benefits of flavanols are due to mechanisms other than antioxidant effects.
Healthy Circulation
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Q: What are the benefits of healthy circulation?
A: Healthy blood flow and good circulation are vital to an active and healthy lifestyle. Your circulatory system is the network of vessels delivering blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. When your blood is flowing properly, your vital organs get the oxygen and nutrients they need, to help you feel your best.
Healthy circulation affects your total health:
• Skin – Proper nutrition and healthy circulation nourish your skin to keep it healthy and help you look your best.
• Endurance – Adequate blood flow helps deliver oxygen throughout your body – crucial during a workout to help you perform your best. Healthy circulation could help support exercise endurance.
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Q: How can I promote good circulatory health?
A: Medical questions should always be directed to your physician or another health care professional. But the basics for promoting circulatory health include:
Regular Exercise. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week.
Quitting smoking. Ask your healthcare provider for help in making a plan to quit smoking.
Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight. Work with your healthcare provider to set goals.
Maintaining or achieving normal blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Talk with your healthcare provider about lifestyle changes and medical treatments to help you meet target levels.
A healthy, balanced diet is another important step toward supporting healthy circulation. Choosing CirkuHealth™ as part of a healthy lifestyle is a smart choice. Each serving contains 30 calories, less than 1 gram of fat and has a guaranteed level of cocoa extract.
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Q: What is the benefit of a cocoa extract?
A: Cocoa extract helps maintain healthy circulation* and thus helps your system deliver needed nutrients and oxygen throughout the body where it needs them, when it needs them.
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Q: How do I know if I have circulation issues?
A: Medical questions should always be directed to your physician or another health care professional.
If you have risk factors such as being overweight, smoking, lack of exercise, high blood sugar, or high blood pressure, you should consider discussing the importance of a healthy circulation and the actions you can take with your physician.
Cocoa Content
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Q: What is the cocoa content of CirkuHealth™?
A: Scientists have learned that it is not the level of cocoa or the percentage of cacao in the product that is important with respect to circulation benefits; it's the amount of flavanols that matters. Cocoa or cacao content in chocolate may be high, but the cocoa flavanol levels may not be, because of processing losses.
Processing conditions for cocoa extract are a key factor in preserving flavanols. Mars, Incorporated, a leader in cocoa research, has developed a Cocoapro® patented process, which preserves the phytonutrient content of cocoa extract, allowing CirkuHealth™ to guarantee a concentrated source of flavanols. At Mars Botanical, we promise to deliver a great tasting and quality product. This is our CirkuHealth™ Guarantee.
Vegan
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Q: Is CirkuHealth™ Vegan?
A: Yes.
Consumption
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Q: Is CirkuHealth™ safe for children?
A: CirkuHealth™ is a product intended for adults ages 18 and up. At this time, we do not recommend this product for children.
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Q: Is there a daily amount recommended?
A: There is no recommended daily value for CirkuHealth™ or cocoa extract, but the cocoa extract contained in one serving of CirkuHealth per day has been demonstrated in clinical trials to help maintain healthy circulation.*
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Q: Can I have too many flavanols?
A: While there isn’t a recommended lower limit or upper limit for flavanol intake, current studies have demonstrated that flavanols are naturally occurring and safe as part of a healthy diet. For reference, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, tea and moderate amounts of chocolate may provide 400-600 mg of flavanols or more each day.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. 2004. USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidins Content of Selected Foods. Available via: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/PA/PA.html. Accessed March 20, 2009.
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Q: Can I use CirkuHealth™ as a meal replacement?
A: CirkuHealth™ was developed to be included in the diet as a dietary supplement, not as a meal replacement. It was not formulated to provide enough protein or vitamins and minerals for a meal and does not provide enough calories.
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Q: Can CirkuHealth™ be served hot? Does heat degrade the cocoa extract?
A: CirkuHealth™ can be served hot. We recommend that you add the cocoa extract mix to heated milk or coffee, rather than microwaving or cooking the beverage mix itself. This will help to preserve the flavanols.
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Q: Does milk affect the cocoa extract and flavanols in CirkuHealth™?
A: No. Even though some of the proteins in milk can bind flavanols and theoretically reduce their absorption, this seems to be the case only at low flavanol levels. With this in mind, CirkuHealth™ has been designed to deliver enough cocoa extract per serving to help maintain healthy circulation.*
Sustainability
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Q: Is CirkuHealth™ produced sustainably?
A: Although not certified sustainable at this time, CirkuHealth™ is made from cocoa that has been sustainably produced in Indonesia. The Mars Botanical team is made up of experts in the field of cocoa research – from plant biologists to product developers – and as a family-owned business, Mars Botanical’s approach has always been hands-on and holistic. The company works closely with native cocoa farmers, pursuing the best ways to plant, cultivate and harvest their fruit – ultimately increasing the profitability and improving the quality of life for local communities.
Through our role in programs like the Cocoa Sustainability Partnership (CSP) in Southeast Asia, Mars is helping deliver a cocoa revitalization program that not only educates and supports cocoa farmers, but is also helping to plant millions of cocoa trees over the next few years in cocoa growing regions… enabling these communities to thrive. This is all part of Mars, Incorporated’s global commitment to ensure our entire cocoa supply is certified as sustainably sourced by 2020.
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Q: What is Mars Botanical’s role in sourcing sustainable cocoa?
A: Mars Botanical has been working closely with native cocoa farmers, pursuing the best ways to plant, cultivate and harvest their fruit – ultimately increasing the profitability and improving the quality of life for local communities, part of our company-wide commitment to certify our entire cocoa supply by 2020.
CocoaVia®
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Q: Is CirkuHealth™ the same as CocoaVia®?
A: No, CocoaVia® is no longer available. CirkuHealth™ is a new dietary supplement with a different formulation than CocoaVia® that harnesses the power of one of nature’s unexpected super fruits – cocoa. If you liked CocoaVia®, you will love CirkuHealth™.
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Q: Can I still buy CocoaVia®?
A: After much consideration and careful evaluation, we have decided to discontinue our line of CocoaVia® Heart Healthy Chocolate Snacks and focus on the opportunity to develop new cocoa extract research and products to better meet the needs of our retail customers and consumers. If you liked CocoaVia®, you will love CirkuHealth™.
Mars Botanical and Mars, Incorporated
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Q: What is Mars Botanical?
A: Mars Botanical was established as a scientific division of Mars, Incorporated in 2007 to focus on research and product development of flavanols, found in cocoa, tea, wine and certain fruits and vegetables. Its mission is to improve human health by promoting and delivering the natural power of flavanols in a cocoa extract through passionate and caring entrepreneurship. Mars Botanical has been tasked to continue to build on the nearly 20-year heritage of Mars, Incorporated to continue its global scientific leadership aimed at investigating the health and biomedical potential of cocoa while establishing a sustainable, certified source of cocoa traceable from pod to product.
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Q: What is Mars Botanical trying to accomplish?
A: Cocoa extract is a particularly rich source of flavanols; however, traditional chocolate processing can easily destroy many of these beneficial phytonutrients. Mars, Incorporated developed a patented and proprietary process called Cocoapro® that helps retain the flavanols destroyed during processing. Building off of years of manufacturing experience, Mars scientists have perfected this process to reduce the cocoa bean’s exposure to high temperatures, helping protect the cocoa extract. This process ensures delivery of a cocoa extract ingredient that is guaranteed to have consistent levels of cocoa flavanols.
The goals of Mars Botanical are to develop bioactive flavanol-rich materials, processing technologies and products supported by evidence-based science like that used in the development of patented and proprietary process called Cocoapro and in our new cocoa extract ingredient, Cirku.
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Q: How does Mars Botanical differ from competitors?
A: Mars Botanical is primarily a plant-derived research and product development company uniquely positioned to build on nearly two decades of scientific leadership on cocoa extract initiated by Mars, Incorporated through more than 100 scientific publications and more than 80 patents resulting from work with institutions including Harvard University and the University of California, Davis.
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Q: Where can I go for more information?
A: Please visit www.MarsBotanical.com
* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.