ational food, chocolate and sweets manufacturer Nestle. "Cocoa is conceivably a treasure chest of compounds with potentially beneficial effects on human health," British scientist Nicholas Jardine of Nestec York Ltd said at a conference in Valencia organised by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). Apart from aiding the fight against cancer and cholesterol, which helps cause coronary heart disease, there were indications that some of the 600 chemicals so far found in the humble cocoa bean could help protect the human immune system, fight rheumatism and combat stress. The report reviewed research already carried out around the world on the possible protective properties of cocoa and chocolate against disease. "The good news is that cocoa is an anti-oxidant...cocoa extracts can have a beneficial effect in retarding LDL (a form of cholesterol) and in cancer it can help prevent adverse changes in DNA," Jardine said. Japanese researchers had found that cocoa extract fed to rabbits retarded cholesterol oxidation, he added. Flavonoids, a chemical found in cocoa and other plants, were anti-carcinogens and powerful anti-oxidants with a possible role in cancer prevention. Some chemicals in cocoa could increase the detoxification of enzymes, removing nasty chemicals from the body, while others could inhibit changes to DNA. Jardine said far too little work had done on cocoa`s protective health properties to draw any firm conclusions.