Insights & Discussion
Cocoa, including its often discarded shell, has promising potential in providing benefits to human health due to its high content of health-boosting phytochemicals.
Cocoa, extracted from the seeds of Theobroma cacao L., contains a wide range of phytochemicals, with polyphenols being the most predominant. These compounds contribute to a variety of beneficial biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, among others. Furthermore, the cocoa bean shell, usually seen as a by-product, has started to attract attention for its own significant phytochemical content, emphasizing the potential health benefits it could also provide. The review gathered and examined existing literature investigating these health benefits.
While the benefits of cocoa have been explored in relation to various health conditions like heart diseases and nervous system disorders, the focus of the review was to assess the role of cocoa and its potential therapeutic capacity in the context of cancer. Without revealing specifics, the review not only outlined the potential health benefits that cocoa and its shells can offer, but also delved into the potential mechanisms that enable such benefits, thus presenting a holistic view on the topic.
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Regular consumption of raw carrots is associated with a significant, dose-dependent reduction in lung cancer incidence, suggesting a potential cancer-protective effect attributed to polyacetylenic compounds, particularly falcarinol and falcarindiol, present in raw carrots.
2023 Nutrients Carrot Intake and Risk of Developing Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study Deding U, Baatrup G, Kaalby L, Kobaek-Larsen M
Cohort Study Adenocarcinoma Carrot Falcarindiol
This research involved a long-term study of 55,756 Danish citizens over a period of more than 25 years. The focus was on investigating the relationship between regular consumption of raw carrots and the development of various cancers, predominantly adenocarcinomas and leukemia. The study assessed whether the frequency of carrot consumption influenced the incidence of lung, pancreatic, breast, prostate cancer, and leukemia. Additionally, it compared the effects of eating raw versus processed carrots.
The study found that eating raw carrots regularly was associated with a reduced occurrence of lung cancer. This link was less clear for pancreatic cancer and non-existent for breast and prostate cancer. The research suggested that the cancer-preventive properties of raw carrots could be attributed to specific compounds, namely falcarinol and falcarindiol. These compounds are not present in cooked carrots. This significant finding points towards the potential of raw carrots in cancer prevention, particularly for lung cancer.
Eating apples and apple products can enhance health by protecting the cardiovascular system, combating cancer and cognitive impairment, and improving hair growth, among other beneficial effects.
2023 Food Science & Nutrition Does an apple a day keep away diseases? Evidence and mechanism of action Zhang Y, Zeng M, Zhang X, Yu Q, Zeng W, Yu B, et al.
Review Article Apple Cardiovascular Disease Hair Growth
The study took a comprehensive approach to evaluate the health benefits of apples and apple products by conducting a literature review of relevant clinical, epidemiological, in vitro, and in vivo studies. It involved an exhaustive search of the PubMed database for a ten-year period, sourcing studies that reported on the effects of different apple products: juices, purees, pomaces, dried apples, and extracts rich in apple bioactives.
The findings indicate that the consumption of apples and their derivations contributes to multiple aspects of human health. These products exhibited a range of protective effects against diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and cancer. Moreover, they were associated with enhanced cognitive function, facilitated hair growth, the healing of burn wounds, and improved oral health. The use of apples and apple-based products also helped to reduce UV-induced skin pigmentation, alleviated the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and cedar hay fever, and even prevented skin flushing caused by niacin. The beneficial impacts of apple consumption can be attributed to a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, vascular endothelial protection, blood lipid regulation, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as anti-invasion and antimetastatic tendencies. These results provide a significant reference point for various fields, including medicine and nutrition, contributing to their development and application.
Consuming carrots can significantly decrease the risk of cancer.
2023 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Carrot intake is consistently negatively associated with cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies Ojobor CC, O’Brien GM, Siervo M, Ogbonnaya C, Brandt K
Meta-Analysis Carrot
The methodology used in this research involved examining the links between carrot intake and the incidence of cancer. The scope was broad, examining all studies published before June 2022 that offered risk estimates connecting cancer incidence with either carrot consumption, α-carotene intake, or α-carotene plasma levels. Possible sources of such studies included those found via digital searches, manually identified within other studies, or garnered from existing reviews. Analysis was carried out comparing the highest and lowest reported intakes from prospective studies, estimating summary relative risks using a random-effects model.
The study's results indicated a strong correlation between carrot consumption and a notable reduction in cancer risk. This conclusion was derived from the analysis of 198 observational studies, 50 of which were prospective studies involving a total of 52,000 cases that specifically recorded carrot intake. Comparatively, on the correlation between α-carotene plasma levels and cancer risk, analysis from 30 prospective studies with 9,331 cases indicated that a higher presence of α-carotene also resulted in decreased cancer risk. Despite a moderate variance between studies, these findings serve as significant evidence in support of the anticancer benefits of carrots.
The proprietary herbal blend LN18178 significantly boosts testosterone levels, muscle strength and mid-upper arm circumference in young, healthy males.
2022 Journal of Dietary Supplements A Proprietary Herbal Blend Containing Extracts of Punica granatum Fruit Rind and Theobroma cocoa Seeds Increases Serum Testosterone Level in Healthy Young Males: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study Sreeramaneni PGA, Yalamanchi A, Konda MR, Cherukuri SHV, Maroon JC
Randomised Controlled Trial Cocoa Pomegranate Peel
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 120 male volunteers aged between 21 and 35 years, participants were arranged into three groups. Each group received a daily dose of either a placebo or 200 or 400 mg of LN18178 for a duration of 56 days. The primary focus of the study was to measure the potential increase in serum testosterone levels (both free and total). Secondary measures incorporated other hormones like dihydrotestosterone, cortisol, and Luteinizing hormone, as well as physical indicators such as hand grip strength and mid-upper arm circumference. Additionally, thorough checks were run pertaining to each participant's vital signs and clinical chemistry parameters in blood and urine to ensure product safety.
After the intervention, both dosage levels of LN18178 significantly raised free testosterone levels. The higher dose group also showed noteworthy increases in total testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels. Meanwhile, the other hormone changes were found to be statistically insignificant. More importantly, the LN18178-400 group displayed significant enhancements in their hand grip strength and mid-upper arm circumference post-trial. The completion of the trial saw participants' vital signs and hemato-biochemical parameters within the normal range, suggesting that LN18178 is both safe and tolerable.
Cocoa extract supplementation in older adults reduced cardiovascular disease related death rates, but did not significantly lessen total cardiovascular events.
2022 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial Sesso HD, Manson JAE, Aragaki AK, Rist PM, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Cardiovascular Disease Cocoa
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 21,442 US adults aged 60 or over, all of who were free of major cardiovascular disease and recently diagnosed cancer. The participants were assigned to either a cocoa extract supplement, which included 500 mg flavanols per day, or a placebo. The intervention phase ran from June 2015 to December 2020. The primary outcome was focused on the number of total cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death among others.
The results showed that during a median follow-up of 3.6 years, there were 410 participants taking cocoa extract and 456 under placebo who had confirmed total cardiovascular events. Secondary endpoints showed reduced death due to cardiovascular disease for the cocoa extract supplement users. However, there was no significant impact on the incidence of total cardiovascular events. Conversely, a lower risk of total cardiovascular events was supported when analyses were censored at nonadherence. Overall, no safety concerns were raised during the trial.
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