Recent research has shown that a daily cocoa fix cuts down your risk of having bowel cancer. This is one of the newest findings with regard to the nutritional benefits of cocoa beans.

Previous studies have shown that, indeed, chocolate packs a lot of health benefits.  Of particular interest is all the potent antioxidants it contains which are known to combat those detrimental molecules called free radicals. Consumption of cocoa has also been associated with diabetes control, as well as keeping blood pressure and heart disease under control.

Dr. Maria Arribas of the Science and Technology Institute of Food and Nutrition in Spain led the most recent research along with her team.  They conducted an experiment aiming to find out if the food could prevent rats from developing bowel cancer as they are exposed to tumor-inducing chemicals. Arribas said: "Foods like cocoa, which is rich in polyphenols, seem to play an important role in protecting against disease."

Bowel cancer, by the way, is a general term that refers to cancer that originates in the large bowel. At times, it is referred to as colon or rectal cancer depending on the location it originated from.

One group of rats used in the experiment was given daily supply of food that contains 12 percent of cocoa for eight weeks, while another group didn't have any cocoa in their diet.

After some time, the lab rats were exposed to a carcinogen known as azoxymethane which is known to cause colon cancer. After four weeks of being exposed, these rats started having intestinal cancer. Turns out, the group of rats that received cocoa had a relatively lower number of pre-cancerous lesions as compared to the other group.

The study is supposedly the first to link cocoa to the prevention of bowel cancer. However, it is still premature and requires deeper exploration to know how humans could take advantage of the raw materials.

Nevertheless, Sarah Williams, a spokesperson from Cancer Research UK advised that high amounts of chocolate can have a negative effect. She commented this because the rats were given rather humongous quantities of cocoa. She also pointed out how sticking to a healthy diet like intake of plenty of fruits and veggies and cutting back on processed and red meat are of the essence. Staying physically active and avoiding nicotine and alcohol altogether are also among your best shots at decreasing your chance of having cancer.

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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