HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCOA

Scientists revealed this week that Epicatechin, a compound found in cocoa can dramatically reduce your chances of developing major illnesses and its health benefits may rival Penicillin in terms of importance to public health. They made their discoveries after studying the Kuna tribe in Panama, who drink a staggering 40 cups of cocoa a week! Good news for cocoa lovers everywhere or maybe not! It seems the cocoa that the Kuna tribe drink is a homemade version, rich in flavenols, notably Epicatechin, which are usually removed from commercial cocoas sold in the western world as they make it taste too bitter. Maybe manufacturers should have a re-think and put the flavenols back in, as scientists claim that drinking cocoa containing these could cut the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes to less than 10 per cent. Definitely food for thought.