The idea that chocolate is actually good for you would have been considered crazy many years ago but in recent years it been discovered it has more uses that curing that broken heart. During recent years it’s become know that chocolate has health benefits. More specifically the cacao bean itself. Some say that it can help circulatory issues and also is pumped full of antioxidants which benefit the immune system.(1) Other sources conclude that it has other benefits l effects including anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventer and antidiarrhoeal properties.(2) All of these aspects are great but the main focus of my post is the most recent discovery on a particular species of cacao. During this week it was noted that two research teams have apparently blueprinted the DNA structure of the Cacao tree. (3) But what does this exactly mean? One of the main problems the growers of the tree face is pathogens that cause frosty pod and black pod, diseases that can wipe out 80 percent of the plants. This new data sequence will allow the farmers to breed far superior cacao trees resistant to the problems they face while growing. In the eyes of science this seems like a great idea. But could the act of playing god disrupt the entire ecosystem? Only time will tell. Hopefully they will take the proper approach with testing before fully implementing their plan. As far as the credibility of the sources I’d say they are accurate in their information because WebMD is a widely know source for medical information and the same goes for CNN. I think the intended audience for each source was different, o ne being for everyone and the other being for people interested in science. A similar case makes me a tad bit frightened. When African killer bees were introduced to South America within the past hundred years it was thought they wouldn’t be able to survive as they slowly migrated north into the use to the lower temperature. The exact opposite happened. The bees interbred with a species of bee native to our country and passed on their cold resistance to a new species of killer bee. These bees are far more aggressive than their African native and have led to deaths of some number of people. Is it right playing god?
"Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 16 Sept. 2010.
Ehrenberg, By Rachel. Science News. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63417/title/A_taste_of_the_chocolate_genome
