Add good news for those who like chocolate

The special issue of the Journal of Digital Cardiology has published research results introduced at an international conference in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The study included two separate studies, one where healthy elderly and one healthy women were Kuna tribes living on islands near Panama. The aim of the study is to understand the use of flavanol-rich cocoa for enhancing blood flow to the brain. A group of Kuna people drink lots of home-processed, flavanol-rich cocoa. The other group migrated to Panama City to live and use less cocoa but this is the commercially processed cocoa, thus containing less flavanol.

The researchers found that the risk of death from heart disease in Panama mainland people was 1,280% higher than this risk in people living on the island. Death from cancer is 630% higher than the Kuna who still live on the island.

Confectionery giant Mars said: ' This new understanding underpins the processing of cocoa-based flavavol chocolates for community health benefits .'

QH