On Tuesday, 17 November a group of Science students from the St Margaret College Senior Secondary School were treated to a project about cocoa production in Ghana, and the healthy benefits of dark chocolate.
The project was linked with the Applied Science Unit about Solubility and Mixtures. Under the supervision of Science teacher Martin Azzopardi sdc, students carried out research about Ghana and the production of cocoa, which is a prime ingredient needed for chocolate production.
The history of cocoa spans over 2,000 years and drinking cocoa started amongst the Mayan people. Cocoa was then introduced to Europe in the 15th century by Christopher Columbus, who brought cocoa plants to Spain after his travels to the New World.
Cocoa cultivation in Ghana started in 1895 where according to a legend a blacksmith called Tetteh Quarshie, returned to his farm in the Eastern Region of Ghana with cocoa beans in his pocket from the island of Fernando Po (now Bioko) in Equatorial Guinea where there was already intensive plantation production of cocoa.
In Ghana, cocoa was first exported at the end of the 19th century. Between 1911 and 1976 Ghana was the world's leading producer of cocoa, contributing between 30-40% of the world's total output.
There are currently around 1.6 million people in Ghana involved in cocoa production and many more in associated industries. Cocoa is now cultivated in six regions in Ghana: Western, Central, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Ashanti and the Volta regions.
Dark chocolate consists of healthy nutrients made from the seed of the cocoa tree called 'Theobroma cacao'. In fact dark chocolate is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. Studies show that dark chocolate can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.
The fatty acid from cocoa and dark chocolate is excellent as it is mostly saturated and monounsaturated. It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, but is unlikely to keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee.
Throughout the study and research, students were invited to investigate the various health benefits of eating dark chocolate. Here are some of the students' findings:
"Dark chocolate fights dental decay" - students Mahmud Al Helal and Hailey Mifsud;
"Eating dark chocolate helps you fight stress" - student Annalise Galea;
"Dark chocolate delays the physical signs of ageing" - students Anika Spiteri and Graziella Formosa;
"Dark chocolate has anti-cancer and cancer-prevention properties" - students Janice Zammit and Hayley Cassar;
"Dark chocolate improves memory and general brain functions" - students Anthea Schembri and Francesca Veneziana;
"Eating dark chocolate boosts in your body a sense of well-being" - student Michela Zammit;
Article written by Mahmud Al Helal, a Science student at St Margaret College Senior Secondary School in Verdala, Cospicua