The Anti-Cancer Properties Of Chocolate: More Than LOVE

Chocolates and bouquet of flowers dominate the various gifts that are presented to loved ones on every 14^th February. All over the world, chocolate symbolizes a true gift of love and passion regardless of the time and season; however, little or nothing is known about its health advantages associated with moderate consumption. Chocolates are derived from cocoa beans and are very rich in bioactive compounds such as flavonoids which are strong antioxidants and prevent deleterious damage to cells caused by free radicals.

These damages when unchecked lead to permanent damage of the DNA and consequently tumour growth. At the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Georgetown University, Robert B. Dickson, Ph.D., and colleagues have identified pentameric procyanidin (pentamer) – a strong antioxidant – in cocoa which has the ability to deactivate proteins involved in breast cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis. When these proteins are deactivated, the growth of tumour cells are hampered and restricted to its site of origin which will ultimately increase patients’ survival in real practice.

In a study led by Dr. Maria Arribas at the Science and Technology Institute of Food and Nutrition, Spain and published in the Molecular Nutrition and Food Research Journal, bioactive compounds discovered in cocoa prevented oxidative stress, proliferation and induced apoptosis in animal models. There was decreased bowel cancer in rats with reduced pre-cancerous lesions.

As relentless efforts are being made my cancer research scientist to unlock the code for tumourigenesis, this line of research should be embraced, encouraged and accepted. Not all chocolates are rich in bioactive compounds which protect against inflammation, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and cancer; dark chocolate and cocoa powders have enormous health benefits than the milky and sweet chocolates. These studies do not confirm dark chocolate and cocoa powder as cancer preventive agents but rather, expose the potential therapeutic effects of some special bioactive agents in these products. Further rigorous experiments are needed to firmly establish the molecular mechanisms of these bioactive agents, their safe dose and side effects if any. As it stands now, these potential therapeutics are far from human clinical trials since substantive evidence and data should be gathered at the preclinical stages to provide assurance of its safety and efficacy in humans.

Care should be taken on how chocolates are consumed as this can indirectly contribute to the growth of other cancers such breast cancer. 1 ounce of dark chocolate contains 170 calories, 12 grams of fat and 24 grams of sugar while 1 ounce of cocoa powder contains 70 calories, 4 grams of fat and a trace of sugar. Although no direct link has been established, excessive consumption of chocolate can lead to overweight which is a known contributing factor for breast cancer. Despite more light been thrown on chocolate, cocoa powder presents much more health benefits due to its low-fat and sugar level compared to dark chocolate. The multi-faceted nature of tumourigenesis is the greatest obstacle in cancer treatment. Moderate consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa powder will be helpful; however, positive life styles like exercise, smoking-free life, decreased alcohol intake and healthy eating contribute greatly to a comprehensive cancer treatment and prevention.

By Meshach Asare-Werehene (Cancer Immunologist)