24 Surprising Health Benefits of Chocolate and Cocoa
Cocoa Is Anti-Cancer
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is an enzyme present in normal cells that can lead to cancer if in excess. Cocoa flavanols and procyanidins reduce ODC activity, therefore reducing the risk of developing tumors, and can also kill colon cancer cells.A pilot study revealed that cocoa also inhibits the growth and reproduction of prostate cancer cells, but not the growth of normal cells .Moreover, a review showed that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatoryproperties of cocoa play a role in reducing the overall risk of cancer.
