Sources of Kuna Cocoa

A scientific study of the Kuna people suggests that this indigenous community's superior heart health is attributable to the people's daily consumption of cocoa. However, these people drink cocoa made from the raw cacao fruit, and not the variety found on supermarket shelves. The cocoa that the Kuna drink is not a special variety, and raw cacao is available online.

Flavanols

• The cacao plant contains a class of flavonoids known as flavanols that are thought to protect the cardiovascular system. The main flavanol in cocoa is epicatechin, a known antioxidant. Researchers from University of California investigating the benefits of flavanols in cocoa published studies in the Journal of Hypertension and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detailing the effects of drinking cocoa on blood flow, and in particular a case study of the Kuna people, who live on San Blas island off the coast of Panama.

Kuna People

• Researchers compared the health of Kuna Indians living on the island with migrants from the island now living in Panama City. The Kuna are known for their considerable cocoa consumption, and the study showed that Kuna living on the island had significantly lower blood pressure than the migrants. One difference between the two groups was that the islanders drank five cups of cocoa daily, whereas the migrants drank less than four cups weekly. Also, they drank different cocoas. The islanders use freshly-picked cacao beans, dry them in the sun and grind them into a powder for use in drinks and food. The migrants, on the other hand, were drinking commercially produced cocoa that only contains traces of flavanols.

Favanol Content

• The researchers looked at various products to compare flavanol content with the cocoa used by the Kuna. Analysis of the Kuna cacao showed that the raw beans contained 4,000 mg of flavanol per 100 g, and the Kuna cocoa drink had 2,000 mg of flavanol per 100 g. Only CocoaPro powder, made by Mars, approached the flavanol levels of the Kuna cocoa, with 5,000 mg/100g. Commercial cocoa powders only have 5 percent of the flavanol content of Kuna cocoa or CocoaPro. CocoaPro is a proprietary product made by Mars Botanical.

Products

• The Mars proprietary brand CocoaVia claims to provide high flavanol levels and remain low in calories. Another way of obtaining the suggested benefits of cocoa is by buying organic raw beans that are dried at low temperatures. Heat destroys the flavanols. The taste of raw cocoa is bitter compared with commercial cocoa, and sellers suggest grinding the beans to powder and using it in smoothies or hot drinks. Raw beans are also available in "nibs" which you can eat as a snack like nuts.