Eating cocoa may reduce your risk of colon cancer
By Maria Cendejas
Researchers in Spain from the Science and Technology Institute of Food and Nutrition published the study in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research detailing the potent anti-carcinogenic effect of the cocoa against colon cancer.
colon cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths every year, a statistic that remains steady regardless of the increased awareness of the deadly disease. To be exact, the National Cancer Institute states on its website that 103,170 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with colon cancer, and the disease together with rectal cancer, and treatment-implications, is expected to kill 51,690 men and women in the country in the same year.
For the first time, scientists determined that regular use of cocoa negates the inflammatory effect of digestive oxidative stress that results in intestinal complaints and boosts risk for colon cancer.
Cocoa is now considered a super food. It has been shown to improve blood lipids and help avoid cardiovascular disease. In the current study, it shows that eating cocoa daily can help prevent colon cancer progression.
The researchers did the study on rats that were fed a cocoa-rich diet that contained 12% of cocoa, as compared to a control group that received the same diet with the chocolate compounds flavonoids. Both of the groups were exposed to a chemical that is known to induce colon cancer.
Animals such as mice and rats have been used for decades to conduct this type of research because they exhibit a similar line of carcinogenesis that is comparable to humans.
Dr. Maria Angeles Martin Arribas, the study leader, said, "Being exposed to different poisons in the diet like toxins, mutagens and pro-carcinogens, the intestinal mucus is very susceptible to pathologies foods like cocoa, which is rich in polyphenols, seems to play an important role in protecting against disease. After a period of eight weeks, the scientists were able to confirm the protective effect of cocoa polyphenols in protecting against this insidious form of digestive cancer.”
The study results showed a marked decrease in the number of pre-malignant neoplastic crypts in the lining of the colon in the cocoa-treated group as compared to the control animals. Further, the researchers found a rise in antioxidant defenses in the supplemented rats and a decrease in oxidative stress biomarkers that are known to be protective against chemical exposure and the prevention of colorectal cancer.
The team concluded that the protective effect of the bioactive compounds in cocoa stopped cell-signaling pathways that typically promote cell proliferation and lead to tumor development.
The treated animals also exhibited a much higher degree of apoptosis, or normal programmed cell death of potentially cancerous tissues. Apoptosis is a process that lead to programmed cell deaths. Without this process, a cell won't die and as a result, with cells continuously growing and proliferating, a tumor will develop.
It is important to note though that milk chocolate is not a good source of cocoa due to its low concentration of the polyphenol and high sugar content. Sugar is known to promote cancer.
The animal study suggests that eating a dark chocolate with a minimum 70% cocoa may lower the risk associated with colon cancer. But there is no guarantee because for one thing at least, chocolate contain a high amount of saturated fat. In comparison, cocoa preparations should be a better option.
To prevent colon cancer, it is essential to have high intake of dietary fiber. Drinking green tea can also help reduce the risk. On the other hand, smoking, eating lots of meat, drinking alcohol, and having low serum vitamin D may boost the risk of the disease.