The cocoa bean shell is a good source of insoluble fibre, according to a study carried out at the University of Toronto in Canada. Researchers tested a finely-ground cocoa bran on 13 men and 12 women for two weeks and found it increased the bulk of fecal matter in a manner similar to wheat bran. The cocoa bran also raised participants HDL (good) cholesterol by 7.6 per cent. Researchers pointed out that psyllium seed and oat bran are the only other dietary fibres that increase bulk and also have a postive impact on cholesterol.Results of the study were published in the August 14/28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
