Cocoa health benefits may boost West Africa farms
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Recent discoveries that cocoa could protect against heart disease and hypertension could see incomes soar for poor West African farmers, scientists working with confectionery maker Mars said of Monday.
Scientists at a nutrition conference in Durban said evidence was growing that chemicals in cocoa could provide massive medical benefits in the battle against heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and vascular dementia.
“The benefits (for Africa) are quite remarkable particularly if the health issues continue to be favourable,” said Norm Hollenberg, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, researching cocoa’s medicinal qualities with unlisted U.S. confectionery giant Mars.
War-torn Ivory Coast produces about 40 percent of the world’s cocoa and neighbour Ghana about 30 percent. Most of the product for the $4 billion market comes from tiny farms, offering the main source of income for poor families.
Hollenberg said a cocoa drink that keeps the benefits of the bitter flavanols - plant chemicals found in cocoa, and to a lesser degree in red wine and red tea - without the fattening calories of chocolate could come onto the market soon.
Flavanols are usually destroyed during the processing of the cocoa bean when making chocolate, and are not found in large quantities in any product currently on the market.
Clinical trials have found that the chemical can boost the flow of blood to key areas of the brain, raising the possibility of treatments for dementia and strokes.
A new study has also shown its ability to improve synthesis of nitric oxide by blood vessels could aid treatment of blood circulation problems associated with long-term diabetes.
“Overall, there is compelling evidence that a high dietary flavanol intake reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and the associated risk of premature death,” said Ian MacDonald, co-director of the Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Nottingham.
Hollenberg said that in time the discoveries could boost demand and more than double income for farmers.
“(We estimate) an average-size farm of five acres will produce an additional $1,000 a year income. It doesn’t sound like a lot but their current income is only $300 a year,” he said.
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