Sample Nutrition Article Review on Hot cocoa
Summary
Hot cocoa is a drink that most people enjoy, but it can bring health complications due to the high sugar and fat content that consumers should not ignore. Still, researchers have joined hands to identify any health benefits associated with cocoa. Indeed, some past although not comprehensive studies indicate that cocoa has health benefits due to its flavanols compounds, which help in safeguarding the consumers from heart attacks, strokes, and dementia. Researchers hope to establish the truth behind these reports and probably discover more advantages associated with cocoa consumption. The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcome Study (COSMOS) is a project designed by a group of researchers from the Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), which investigate the cardiovascular benefits of cocoa and multivitamins in a large group of people consisting of men and women over the age of 60 and 65, respectively. Additionally, a previous research study from BWH reported a notable decrease of cancer cases among men aged above 50 years who were subjected to a daily intake of multivitamin. Therefore, COSMOS also aims to establish the anti-cancer benefits of multivitamins for women.
Opinion
The article is educative as it explores both the positive and adverse effects of cocoa. Indeed, although the readers might see cocoa as a remedy to protect themselves from cardiovascular diseases and cognitive disorders, the publication also highlights the likely consequences of consuming cocoa derived products such as chocolate. Therefore, consumers have all the information they require about cocoa before making the decision to either eat it or not. Further, many people have become conscious of the impact of their body weight on their health and are thus more careful with what they consume. Whereas chocolate is generally very much appreciated, myths discourage people from a regular consumption for fear of adding weight. However, the article provides some good news for people who are concerned about their weight not to shun chocolate altogether but to enjoy it occasionally and benefit from the cocoa components (Powell par. 6).
Furthermore, in the modern era where marketers focus more on making sales than on educating consumers on the side effects of their various products and services, the article reveals information that salespeople might never furnish to a potential buyer. Indeed, the audience also benefits from the article by learning that although cocoa is a rich source of flavanols, it might not be reliable due to variations in the processing methods (Powell par. 12). The information is a wake-up call to the consumers to insist on obtaining more explanations on the various processing techniques used to produce the goods they buy on the market. Therefore, food safety agencies should demand from manufacturers to include their processing procedures on the packaging that consumers will be able to read before buying the product. However, it may also be a challenge for consumers who are not familiar with the various food processing systems. Indeed, the information provided by the manufacturers might be unhelpful if the clients cannot interpret it correctly. Nevertheless, nowadays consumers can use technological advancements like the internet to understand the different processing techniques involved, thus empowering their judgement when making a purchase. The buyers will be more knowledgeable about the goods they buy, which will drive producers to adopt more healthy practices when producing foodstuffs in an attempt to meet the customer’s expectations.
Recommendation
I would strongly recommend the article to other people since cancer is currently a major health concern worldwide and almost everyone is experiencing its impact either on them or on their friends and family. Indeed, the publication has significant information that the readers can use to prevent cancer or to improve their condition. The article highlights that previous studies showed that cancer rates decrease among men who observe a daily intake of multivitamin (Powell par. 7). This vital information increases the readers’ motivation to follow up on the future results of COSMOS that will determine if a daily consumption of multivitamins also lowers the cases of cancer in women. Finally, the study is beneficial since the health of the elderly in our society has declined greatly and it is important to learn how cocoa can help reduce age-related diseases in both genders. I would urge others not only to read the article but also to ensure that they keep track of the future studies that will establish the cardiovascular benefits as well as the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties of cocoa flavanols in men and women (Powell par. 10).
Work Cited
Powell, Alvin. “Cocoa for Pleasure – And Health?” Harvard Gazette. Harvard University, 13 Feb. 2017, http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/cocoa-for-pleasure-and-health/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2017.