Functional Chocolate Company hopes a treat a day keeps the doctor away

By Natasha Lovato

You can have your chocolate and eat it too when it’s crafted to be both delicious and health conscious. It’s not a bad time to treat yourself or a loved one to tasty treats containing ingredients specially crafted to help remedy health concerns.

The Functional Chocolate Company began when founder Chris Peruzzi created the PMS bar for his teenage daughter. Soon after, he decided to branch out to broader needs for everyday concerns like sleep, focus, anxiety, libido and more. Peruzzi created new formulations, roped in a team and formally launched Functional Chocolate this past year.

“The big thing we talk a lot about is the focus on inclusivity,” says Graham Sorkin, chief of staff and co-founder. “We are trying to make them available to as many people as possible, being gluten free, vegan, etc.”

So, how do the chocolates help combat something like PMS? Sorkin explained that while each base to the various bars are the same, the difference is the nutraceuticals added to target a specific need.

“A lot of the same things you’d get from a PMS supplement, for example, you will find in the PMS bar,” Sorkin said. “It’s like using ginger to help with nausea or primrose oil to help with bloating. We take those featured ingredients and build the flavor around that. For instance, the PMS bar is a ginger snap chocolate bar.”

According to a study by The Mayo Clinic, the same ingredients within the PMS bar have been proven to help ease PMS symptoms. Similarly, ingredients like valerian root, chamomile and lavender found within the Sleepy Chocolate bar are shown to help ease sleeplessness.

So, whether it’s the need to promote productivity, relaxation, or anything in between, each chocolate bar has a particular flavor profile to help tackle the specific condition.

With Fair Trade practices that support farmers from South America and other parts of the world, the company uses high-quality ingredients. “We are committed to supply chain transparency and accountability,” according to the Functional Chocolate website.

While there is not a physical storefront, the headquarters are located in Evergreen and the products are sold in over 200 stores nationwide, in addition to the Functional Chocolate online shop.

Natasha Lovato is a Colorado native with a love for her cats, writing and a cold Holidaily Blonde Ale.