A Cambridge University spin-off lab, Lycotec, has created ‘Esthechoc’; chocolate that will boost antioxidant levels, increase circulation to prevent lines and keep skin looking fresh and youthful. As the brochure states, Esthechoc will effectively fight age-related loss of essential skin appearance, boosting firmness, radiance and softness.

The firm is confident that the chocolate will be able to transform the skin of a 50-60 year old back to that of someone in their 20s or 30s.

The product has now been developed and patented and is the result of extensive research on cocoa polyphenols and free radicals, alongside numerous trials with over 3000 patients. Just a small 7.5g bar of anti-ageing chocolate contains the same levels of antioxidants as a fillet of Alaskan salmon. During extensive testing in which volunteers consumed Esthechoc every day, there was evidence of reduced blood inflammation and increased blood supply to skin tissue.

Lycotec’s brochure claims that “clinical data confirms the biological efficacy and shows statistically significant improvements in the biochemical and metabolic parameters after 3 weeks of administration.”

The development and research behind Esthechoc has important links to the University of Cambridge. Esthechoc is the brainchild of Dr Ivan Petyaev, a former Cambridge researcher and founder of Lycotec. As Dr. Petyaev stated, Esthechoc “is the tip of an iceberg of what we are doing – developing products for health management.” The original research was also conducted in the Department of Pathology.

“We are conducting clinical studies now,” Dr. Petyaev stated, “and will do more, and not just for substantiation but for expansion of possible application. Not only for this product but a range which we are building on.”

However, Esthechoc will become available to the public with a hefty price tag; according to its brochure, the target market consists of "elegant, educated and affluent" city-dwelling women in their 30s and businessmen who wish to “support their appearance in a stressful environment and on their business travels.”

When asked whether the company plans to expand the target market in the long term, or maintain Esthechoc as a relatively high-end product, Dr. Petyaev replied, “we develop products for health management, packed with technologies, patents and clinical validation. Hence our target is not a supermarket shelf”.

Esthechoc has gone on sale this month in several Central European countries, Scandinavia, the UK, and online.