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For Life - Africa Cacao bean
Cacao beans commonly known as the cocoa bean, are the seeds of the
tropical cacao fruit. They are about the size of an almond and the
taste is rich, creamy and full of cacao's complex flavor notes that
range from berry to coffee. Pure cacao beans are an excellent source
of nutritious antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that can boost
your energy levels and may help to keep your immune system functioning
at an optimal level.
Shade-grown cacao, grown under mature Moringa trees
which are been grown for the pods and seeds, create income for farmers
without compromising the natural resources. The tropical trees naturally
withstand flooding and drought, demonstrating a safe choice for
growers facing climate change and grows prolifically in all parts
of Africa.
Nearly 70% of the world crop today is grown in West
Africa and it will do very well on our ABCD
Hope Estate, the 275 acre of land that we own in Uganda. On
this land ABCD will be cultivating commercial Moringa and will require
millions of Moringa seeds. To grow shade-grown cacao under the mature
Moringa will make full advantage of the land.
Some information sourced from www.foodispower.org
In recent years, a handful of organizations and
journalists have exposed the widespread use of child labour, and
in some cases slavery, on cocoa farms in Western Africa. Since then,
the industry has become increasingly secretive, making it difficult
for reporters to not only access farms where human rights violations
still occur, but to then disseminate this information to the public.
We will NOT be using child labour on Hope Estate, however it will
enable us to give employment to the many orphans in our care over
the age of 16 years and to the many women in our empowerment programmes.
Antioxidants help fight off premature aging and
even cancers. Think of antioxidants as fire fighters putting out
a blaze. And cacao is one of the sources highest of antioxidants
Flavonoids come from plants they are similar to
antioxidants in that they have a free radical scavenging capacity
and have anti-cancer properties while other flavonoids show potential
for anti HIV function. We get a significant amount from cacao.
A one ounce serving of cacao has 64 milligrams of
magnesium making it one of the best dietary sources of it. Magnesium
is starting to be really recognized as a very key element for the
body as it is involved in hundreds of functions in the body such
as:
• protein synthesis
• muscle and nerve function
• blood glucose control
• blood pressure regulation
Some information sourced from www.lifehack.org
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